'Workhouse Through The Times' exhibition launched in Limavady
The exhibition was launched on Wednesday 17 September at the LCDI
The 'Workhouse Through The Times' exhibition was launched on Wednesday 17 September at the LCDI, officially opened by Mayor Oliver McMullan.
The exhibition is the culmination of a volunteer-led project running since 2022, which explores over 180-years of history of the Limavady workhouse buildings.
The project, run in partnership with the Binevenagh and Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership, features contributions from numerous community groups.
Highlights include a tapestry by the Limavady Hen Shed and conflict textile artists, work from the LCDI After Schools Club who studied the lives of workhouse children, and a new archival database of historical documents and objects.
The exhibition features a fascinating collection of objects, artefacts, and archived materials, many of which have never been displayed together, bringing the history of the workhouse vividly to life.
The doors of Limavady will open to the public for for this special exhibition which will run to the 4th October, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside one of the best-preserved workhouses in Northern Ireland.
Through a series of timed slots, which will take place on Monday/Wednesday/Fridays from 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm, visitors will be taken on a powerful journey into the past, uncovering the stories of those who lived and worked within its walls.
School group tours welcome Tuesdays and Thursdays.
There will also be an evening talk on Wednesday 24th September @ 7.30pm on Limavady History and another on Wednesday 1st October @ 7.30pm on Night lodgers: who were they ?
The events are supported by that Binevenagh and Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership, with funding raised by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Players.
Karen Heaney from Limavady Community Development Initiative commented:
"The exhibition tells a deeply human story from the formation of the workhouse during the darkest days of the Famine, through years of hardship, emigration, and survival, to its remarkable transformation into Roe Valley District hospital that served generations with care and compassion. What began as a place of last resort became over time, the heart of the community. We want visitors to reflect not only on the past, but also on the enduring role this building has played over 180 years and continues to play in the life of the town and the community."
Don’t miss this chance to explore the Limavady Workhouse and discover the remarkable history preserved within its walls.
For further information and to book your timed tour, visit here
or contact Karen Heaney on 02877765438 or [email protected]