Pop-up Leitrim Women’s Museum on tour this Summer

Lurganboy native and archaeologist, Donna Gilligan who was the curator for phase one of the first-class and ground breaking “Leitrim Women Through Time” project in association with the North Leitrim Women's Centre, is now spearheading phase two of this great work on Leitrim women whose major contributions to life in the county was largely ignored in recorded history.
Regarding phase two of this research enterprise, Donna says “The Leitrim Women Through Time project are delighted to have received support from the Creative Ireland Creative Communities Fund for a unique project in the county in May and June.
“The 'Pop-up Leitrim Women’s Museum' will introduce a first for Leitrim by creating a temporary museum of Leitrim women’s history in four public venues across the county. The museum will include the display of the 'Leitrim Women Through Time 1850 – 1950' travelling museum exhibition.
“This will be accompanied by a display of objects from rural women’s history, with examples of items from women’s work inside and outside the home, women’s craft, and women’s personal lives.
“On display will be a collection of vintage and antique items which tell stories of women’s lives in the near and distant past. This will include a wide variety of objects from rural women’s lives including an antique Singer sewing machine, a butter churn, a washboard, Clones lace, Irish linen, and vintage household books and women’s magazines.
“Leitrim Women Through Time (LWTT) is a community heritage project run by the North Leitrim Women’s Centre and Scéal Heritage Consultancy, which celebrates and records the stories of everyday rural women neglected by history.
“The project would love for people to bring along their own photographs, documents, and objects linked to local women’s history to the events to be recorded by the project, and they will scan, copy, and photograph all shared information and objects to add to the project archive for preservation for the future.
“The museum project would like to give people the opportunity to temporarily display their own objects linked to rural women in the pop-up museum. Have you a piece of hand-knitting with a history, or a patchwork quilt that has been passed down through the family?
“Do you have a dress that was worn to dance to showbands in the Rainbow or Mayflower Ballrooms? Maybe you have an everyday object like a housecoat or a cooking pot which has a story behind it about the women who used it?
“LWTT is open to all submissions for display, and asks that people get in touch with them via scealheritage@gmail.com on 071-9856220, or through https://www.facebook.com/leitrimwomenthroughtime/ .
“The first 'Pop-up Leitrim Women’s Museum' will take place in Ballinamore Library on Wednesday, May 24 from 11am to 2pm – all are welcome to this free event celebrating rural women’s history in Leitrim. Three further Museum events will take place in Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, and Kiltyclogher, with dates and times to be announced for these in the next few weeks. week.”