Collection: Fermanagh County Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Fermanagh County Museum was established by Fermanagh District Council in 1976 and opened to the public in 1977. The Museum was established primarily to preserve and interpret the history of the County. The initial collection developed around archaeological and historical artefacts gifted by local people. The collections grew steadily with assistance from the active Association of Friends of Fermanagh County Museum, a charitable trust set up to support the work of the Museum. The Museum has a successful track record of attracting external funding for major acquisitions through organisations such as The National Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund, the Northern Ireland Museums Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

  Following Local Government Reorganisation in 2015, Fermanagh County Museum became part of a wider Museum & Heritage Service for Fermanagh & Omagh District Council. Collections and management of collections reflect a district-wide approach. We are engaging with communities and establishing new partnerships to increase collections relating to the Omagh area in tandem with the continued development of material relating to Fermanagh.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Fermanagh & Omagh District Council’s museum collections total around 13,000 artefacts, or groups of artefacts. Collections are of local, national and, in certain examples, of international significance. Collections are relevant to the Fermanagh & Omagh district area but also extend into the wider area of County Tyrone. Multi-disciplinary collections range from prehistory to the present. Core collections comprise of material in the fields of:

  • History (Archaeology, Social History, Farming and Folklife, Costume and Textiles, Numismatics, Photography and Digital Media, Archives, and Contemporary Material)
  • Arts (Paintings, Prints, Drawings, Sculpture, Ceramics, Metalwork, Glass and Furniture) 

  In addition, the Museum & Heritage Service has responsibility for:

  • Books and Publications
  • Education Handling Material

  Museum collections include a representative range of geological specimens from Fermanagh. The existing collection is held for educational purposes; the field is not actively collected or developed.

  History

  Prehistory: the Fermanagh & Omagh District Council area contains important prehistoric sites and monuments from crannogs (artificial island settlements); to stone circles and burial grounds. Archaeology includes excavated finds from prehistoric sites for example pottery and wooden vessels, flint implements, metalwork, weaponry, animal bone, saddle and rotary querns and bog butter. Collections encompass a number of significant Bronze Age artefacts from Altanagh, County Tyrone. The Museum currently houses and manages an archive of material on long-term loan relating to the Drumclay Crannóg excavation in Enniskillen. Undertaken in 2012, the excavation was one of the most important wetland excavations worldwide in terms of the breadth and significance of material uncovered.

  Early Christian and Medieval: the strength of the medieval artefacts primarily relates to the heritage of the international medieval pilgrimage route through Lough Erne to St Patrick’s Purgatory, Lough Derg, Co Donegal, during the era of the ruling Gaelic Maguires. Artefacts relate to the programme of conservation, marketing and community engagement being undertaken as part of the developing Lough Erne Pilgrim Way. Artefacts include a significant collection of early Christian stone sculptures and fragments from religious sites across the islands and waterways of Lough Erne, including Aghalurcher, Inishkeen and Keenaghan ancient graveyards and monastic sites. The collection includes replicas of other stone figures from significant Early Christian sites in Fermanagh.

  17^th to 19^th Centuries: paper archives encompass maps, postcards, documents, topographical prints and printed ephemera. These include 17^th century documents relating to the Williamite Wars. Artefacts range from trade tokens issued in Enniskillen in the 17^th century by Abraham Clements and James Warnock, a silver seal of the Corporation of Enniskillen (1612) and a silver Queen Anne Mace made for Enniskillen in 1707-08. Archaeological material includes excavated finds from Enniskillen Castle including pottery fragments, brick and glass. There is a set of standard weights and measures made for the Borough of Enniskillen in 1861 and associated documentation. Collections include a complete bound set of the Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch maps of Fermanagh. Artefacts reflect the importance of local industries such as leatherwork, brewing and distilling, the Florence Court Tilery, as well as the beginnings of the Railway. There are artefacts and archives relating to the local Workhouses, the impact of the Famine and migration.

  20^th and 21^st Centuries: the Connection & Division 1910-1930 project proactively developed 20^th century collecting. Within the context of the western border region of Northern Ireland and a wider international framework, collections acquired encompass the period of the Decade of Commemorations from the move towards Home Rule, the First World War, the Easter Rising, the War of Independence/Anglo-Irish War and the formation of the border. Collections development has included the acquisition of material relating to the Civil Rights Movement locally and the more recent history of The Troubles.

  Key local industries are represented including textiles and archives relating to the Taylor-Woods Lingerie and Hosiery Factory, Enniskillen. Material has been collected relating to transport including a Railway ephemera. Leisure activities are represented by a collection relating to the Showbands era. Material has been collected through the community-led temporary exhibition programme.

  Contemporary collecting has focused on representing aspects of local life and key events. More recently, collections have been acquired relating to impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

  Photography and Digital Media: the historic photographic archives document the changing face of the local area including examples by Annie King, Shay Nethercott, David Blair and Walter Brady. The photographic database of over 19,000 digital assets relates to the history of local people and places, including images of objects as well as museum exhibition and events. Some images are copies and are for research and educational use only. There is a collection of around 200 tapes of oral history recordings of people’s memories and reminiscences, along with a small film and video collection.

  Farming and Folk-life: the Museum owns significant collections and archives relating to rural life. A large collection (800 items) was donated by Pat Cassidy, who ran the Corner House Museum in Lisnaskea. This includes farm hand tools, veterinary equipment, straw artefacts, poitin-making equipment and cooking utensils. Another large collection (400 items), mainly of domestic equipment, was donated by the family of the late Dowager Duchess of Westminster, who in the 1960s had fitted out a 17^th century house near her home at Ely Lodge. This includes household utensils, country furniture and examples of Belleek ware. The collections also include horse-drawn farm machinery and other substantial farm equipment some of which is on display at Castle Archdale.

  The folk-life collection was enhanced by the donation of the Johnny McKeagney archive of drawings, recordings, films and photographs. The archive, donated by his family is an important resource for the history of Irish rural life.

  Arts

  The Museum houses a strong art collection relating to the local culture and heritage of the area. It includes significant art collections and archival material relating to both William Scott (1913–1989) and T.P. Flanagan (1929-2011). Both artists were raised in Enniskillen and taught by the artist Kathleen Bridle (1897–1989) whose work is also well represented in the Museum collections.

  The William Scott Collection: William Scott is recognised as a major artist of the post Second World War era whose work is of international significance. The Museum houses one of the most important public collections of work by William Scott. The collection includes works of art encompassing oils, prints, a drawing and a textile, spanning the late 1930s to the late 70s. Recently, the Scott family, through the William Scott Foundation, has donated a large collection of material including early works of art, a painting of the artist as a young boy by Kathleen Bridle, fine art books and catalogues, as well as William Scott’s easels, painting equipment and domestic objects used as inspiration for his finished art work.

  T.P. Flanagan Collection: Recently, the Museum acquired twenty-two paintings, watercolours and drawings by T.P. Flanagan, enhancing the existing collection of works by the artist. The most significant public collection of TP Flanagan’s work now belongs to his native county, in recognition of the artist’s wishes. Recurring themes are represented in the collection, including works inspired by the landscapes of Fermanagh, Sligo and Donegal, as well as important paintings relating to The Troubles. The artist’s family donated an archive of sketch books, letters and photographs, providing Insights into T.P. Flanagan’s working methods.

  Museum collections also include works of art by Jeremy Henderson (1952-2009), Anthony Scott, Philip Flanagan, Mavis Thomson and Marion Thomson. Several key pictures have been donated by the Earl of Belmore; paintings have been gifted by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Other works have been purchased with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Art Fund and the Northern Ireland Museums Council with generous assistance from the Association of Friends of Fermanagh County Museum.

  Decorative Arts and Crafts: the Museum houses one of the most significant public collections of Belleek Pottery. Examples include a rare experimental early Belleek terracotta vase as well as important First Period Parian figures. Other local crafts represented include Inishmacsaint and Clones Lace and Fivemiletown Art Deco copperware. Contemporary craft collections include ceramics by Ann McNulty and textile pieces by Patricia Kelly.

  Associated Collections: The Museum’s reference library includes all the subject areas covered by the collections with many of the volumes received as donations. There is a complete set of the ‘Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries’ which commenced in 1848, a set of ‘The Ulster Journal of Archaeology’ begun in 1853, the first edition of Lewis’ ‘Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’, and editions of the ‘Annals of Ireland’ and the ‘Annals of Ulster’. There are rare privately published books about family histories and works by local writers, poets and historians. The library contains some specialised reference books on museum practice.

  Separate collections of material are maintained for use with schools and other groups as handling material. These collections relate to educational programmes such as ‘Life in Early Times’, ‘Vikings’, ‘Meet the Middle Ages’, ‘The Plantation’, ‘Life in the Recent Past’ and ‘World War II’.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC