Bios and summary of talks for ‘Spilling the Beans’ 2015
Neil Hamilton, Curator at Downpatrick and County Down Railway Young Apprenticeship
programme
Young Apprenticeship programme evolved at Downpatrick & Co. Down Railway due to
changing attitudes in the collecting policy. From the beginning the organisation gave great
precedence to the collection and restoration of steam trains from the late 19th century. These
items of rolling stock provided the volunteers (many in their 60s) with much nostalgia. Over
time, however, with the arrival of younger volunteers at the organisation it soon became
apparent that much younger trains built in the mid-20th century also had ‘heritage’ appeal for
them. This created unexpected tensions within the organisation but also helped bring about
a huge shift in thinking and led to the DCDR being described as light years ahead of other
established Heritage Railways in G.B. by the Heritage Railway Association.
Neil Hamilton is the Curator at the volunteer run Downpatrick & County Down Railway,
Ireland's only standard gauge Heritage Railway and is responsible for the museum's
collection of Belfast & County Down Railway artefacts and other railway items. A retired
dental surgeon, he has been involved in railway preservation in Ireland from the mid-1960s.
Maria Cagney, Museums Access Officer at Mid-Antrim Museum Service Double Vision:
Young Curators Project
Double Vision: Young Curators project involved the Young Curators group from The
Model, Sligo, and Dunclug Youth Forum, Ballymena. Their task over two years was to build
a relationship which would both facilitate and inform the curation of a collaborative exhibition
which brought together Irish artworks from the Niland Collection and social history objects
from Mid-Antrim Museum. Supported by project officers and an artist they devised and
implemented a range of innovative curatorial strategies to facilitate the selection of
artworks/objects but also to communicate their perspectives on subjects including cultural
and political identity, citizenship, conflict and democracy.
Maria Cagney has been working as Museums Access Officer at Mid-Antrim Museums
Service for over five years. She has been heavily involved in the design and delivery of
heritage based projects for PEACE III and the Decade of Centenaries. Since April 2014,
Maria has been leading a three year Heritage Lottery funded project entitled ‘On the Brink:
The Politics of Conflict 1914-16’.
Ciaran Elizabeth Doran, Curator/ Manager and Jenny Haslett, Education,
Outreach, Marketing and Publications at Northern Ireland War Memorial Family
Events for VE Day – 70 years on
VE Day – 70 years on marked the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on 8th May
1945, the date which officially announced the end of WW2 in Europe. NIWM commemorated
this with three days of related activities including a family day where visitors played games,
sang tunes from the 1940s, sampled rationed treats; Patriotic Pudding and Celebration
Trifle, and created an opportunity for those who celebrated VE Day in 1945 to reminisce
about the festivities. The event included a VE Day exhibition with previously unseen Belfastmade scrapbook material and local film footage.
Ciaran Elizabeth Doran is responsible for the management of the NIWM Museum. With
over 30 years’ experience in museums at a national and local level she maintains close links
with the Imperial War Museum London where she worked for 24 years in the Department of
Exhibitions.
Jenny Haslett has a creative background in textiles and 5 years’ experience as an educator
in museums. Her primary focus is to develop and deliver themed workshops and events for
families and children visiting the NIWM museum, where she has worked for 3 years.
Moira O’ Rourke, Branch Leader at Down County Museum Young Archaeologists’ Club
The Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) is a UK wide organisation for young people
interested in archaeology. It consists of a network of local clubs across the UK where 8–16
year olds can get their hands mucky doing real archaeology. The Downpatrick branch was
established at Down County Museum in 2002 by curator Mike King and our members
engage in archaeology through monthly events which include trips to ancient monuments,
artefact handling, field-walking and taking part in archaeological excavations.
Moira O’Rourke has been a branch leader for Downpatrick YAC since 2012. She has 18
years experience working in the heritage sector as an archaeologist and heritage consultant,
and is a member of the Northern Ireland Archaeology Forum. Moira currently works at Down
County Museum as a cultural assistant and also consults on heritage projects when spare
time allows.
.