50th Anniversary Conference: Carrickfergus Revisited

Explore the early history of Carrickfergus this September at a conference filled full of fascinating facts and interesting anecdotes.

Brought to you by Carrickfergus Museum in partnership with Carrickfergus & District Historical Society, the ‘Carrickfergus Revisited’ event will take place on Saturday 7 September from 9.45am – 4.15pm.

The event will delve into the archaeology and history of the settlements on the north-eastern shores of Belfast lough and the development of the medieval town – before and after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans.

There will be an amazing line-up of speakers on the day who will showcase new research as well as highlight the extensive knowledge that has been gathered to date from various excavations of the walled town – including the CAPNI community dig in Shaftesbury Park.

Presentations on the day will cover aspects of Carrickfergus heritage that isn’t well known or understood. Tom McNeil’s latest research looks at the impact of the Anglo-Normans on rural settlement and the economy in County Antrim, while Paul Logue will be exploring a very new narrative for Carrickfergus – showing how the town was much more integrated that previously thought – with Irish family and place names being common. This will be complemented by Paul Tempan’s work who will be discussing Robert Lythe’s Map of Carrickfergus Bay (Belfast Lough), c. 1567 and what it reveals about the natural and built environment of the region as well as its placenames.

The conference will also look at settlements in Carrick in the Early Medieval period and highlight new research on the Carrickfergus dog bones on display in the Museum.

Ciara McManus will focus on the Bashfordlands excavation, while Andrew Gault will be taking a wider view – looking at the archaeology of the surrounding the town and what recent investigations have revealed about how these lands.

The day will conclude with a short tour of the town and visit to St. Nicholas’ church. A number of workshops and demonstrations are also planned over the weekend, including an artefact illustration class with Bronagh Murray and a workshop on willow weaving techniques with Welig Heritage Crafts (Clive Lyttle) which can be booked separately.

This is one of several events Carrickfergus & District Historical Society and Carrickfergus Museum are working in partnership to deliver this year to mark the Society’s 50th anniversary.

The conference is funded by The Irish Walled Town Network and Carrickfergus Literary and Scientific Society (Union Hall) Trust Fund.

For more information visit: www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/CarrickfergusRevisited

Please note, there are limited places available, if you wish to attend, please contact the museum directly on T: 028 9335 8241 E: carrickfergusmuseums@midandeastantrim.gov.uk