Categorically Celtic
The new temporary exhibition titled ‘Categorically Celtic – traditional design in Irish art, politics and popular culture’, which explores the significance of Celtic art within Irish life, tracing its evolution from its ancient origins to contemporary everyday use has now opened.
The exhibition maps the trajectory of the artform from its Iron Age roots, defined by flowing curves and intricate knotwork, to the transformative period between the 8th and 11th centuries.
During this era, Viking contact introduced bold animal interlace and ribbon-like forms, with this fusion of Norse and Celtic elements giving rise to the "Insular art" style, a unique aesthetic famously immortalized in high crosses and illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells.
The Celtic Revival of the 19th and early 20th centuries sought to preserve Irish literature, music, and language by reimagining ancient motifs for a new era. These designs were integrated into stained glass, architecture, typography, and national monuments, bridging the gap between antiquity and modernity.
The artwork was also steeped in symbolism representing growth, renewal and harmony with the natural world. It also drew inspiration from Irish mythology and artists translated the heroic sagas of medieval manuscripts into a visual language.
Visitors to the exhibition will encounter a diverse array of artefacts that demonstrate the versatility of these motifs, including Irish Dancing Dresses from the 1970s, crafted with hand embroidered motifs directly inspired by the Book of Kells, a Lambeg Drum decorated with the Red Hand of Ulster, a symbol dating back to the Gaelic aristocracy, a 1910 Ancient Order of Hibernians Sash and an exquisite 19th-century Bog Oak Brooch.
Our new exhibition is now open, we welcome everyone to come and explore.
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Making Waves: Newry’s Rise As a Global Trade Centre
This exhibition 'Making Waves: Newry's Rise As a Global Trade Centre' explores how the influx of goods from around the world transformed the lives of people in and around the Port of Newry, forever changing the region. It also shows how the maritime trade provided employment for generations of local people, from merchants and sailors to dockers and customs officers.
Visitors to the exhibition will discover Newry's transformation into a bustling global marketplace, a story told through the Museum’s collection of artefacts and information boards. Panels highlight a bustling trade of imported goods like minerals and sugar, which filled the warehouses of Sugar Island and Merchants Quay. In turn, products exported included Newry granite, whiskey and fine linen.
Among the items on display are everyday relics from this era, such as postcards, paper bags for loose tea, receipts for tobacco and flax seed, and 18th century consignment notices for linen bound for America.
Accompanying the exhibition is a complimentary booklet of essays, offering more information and providing greater detail on subjects such as businesses in the 19th century, women’s work and the port, emigration as well as the historical development of the port itself.
The exhibition is now open to the public until September 2026
Captain McParland’s Uniform goes on display
Born into a Newry seafaring family, John McParland followed his father, grandfather and uncles to sea. John joined Fisher’s ships at 15, beginning as a Deck Boy in 1951. In 1958 he moved to Esso Petroleum, later becoming Master of the SS Inverpool. He retired in 1982, with the MV Esso Tenby as his final command.
Now showcasing Flowering in the Mournes
Known locally as “flowering,” this white-on-white embroidery was traditionally worked on linen. Popular in Counties Down and Armagh, it used techniques such as satin stitch, cutwork, drawn thread work and pin-tuck pleats to create delicate, lace-like patterns.
