Echoes in the Landscape

Echoes in the Landscape

26 March - 26 April 2025

Mid-Antrim Museum, The Braid

An exhibition of pre-historic to early medieval sites in the Ballymena area by musician and storyteller, Willie Drennan, and photographer, David McClean, has opened at Mid-Antrim Museum at the Braid

The purpose of this exhibition is to create greater awareness of our local heritage in the immediate are around Ballymena, set in their archaeological context.

This area which incorporates the Braid, Maine and Kellswater Rivers has had a wealth of sites which included, raths, moats, ring forts, dolmens, court graves, passage graves, cashels, crannogs, castles, souterrains and standing stones.

Photographs showing local sites such as Harryville Motte, Tamnybuck Cashel and Ballycreggy Ring Fort by David McClean are on display.

These show what survives on these sites today and the exhibition also features a surprising site where no trace exists, but which will be familiar to many local people.

Local historian, Ed Luke, has created an interactive map which will allow visitors to the exhibition to examine the layers of history in the area.

The map will provide a fun and innovative way to explore sites to uncover different time periods.

Willie Drennan has highlighted the findings and appraisals of archaeologists and historians alongside the folklore, passed down through the generations, which often provides information in the form of hypothesis or speculation that embellishes and sometimes clashes with the academic findings to date.

The exhibition also displays artefacts relating to local antiquarians and amateur archaeologists in the area such as W. J. Knowles and we are delighted to be able to display, on loan from Dr. Tom McNeill (QUB), finds from the Doon bought excavation, near Clough, which took place in 1969.

There will be colouring in and dressing up activities available for families.

The exhibition will be open until 26 April 205 in Mid-Antrim Museum, The Braid, Ballymena (excluding Easter Monday and Tuesday) and admission is free.

Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.

For further information please E: BraidMuseum@midandeastantrim.gov.uk