Somme Heritage Centre
| County: | Down |
| Tel: | 028-9182 3202 |
| Fax: | 028-9182 32 |
| Email: | sommeassociation@btconnect.com |
Opened in 1994 as a tourist attraction and educational facility. The Centre examines Ireland's role in the First World War with special reference to local cross community involvement in the three volunteer divisions raised in Ireland: the 10th and 16th (Irish) Divisions & the 36th (Ulster) Division. These units comprised volunteers from both religions and traditions; Protestant & Catholic, Unionist & Nationalist. The Centre examines this coming together in common cause, and operates guided tours which takes visitors through a 'time-tunnel' to Ireland in 1910 and the Home Rule Crisis which formed the backdrop to Ireland's War involvement. Visitors then enter a recruiting office, before going on to training. After travelling to France, the visitor enters a dug-out with info about life in the trenches. The highlight is a recreated front-line trench, from which visitors can look out over 'No Man's Land' and view a dramatic audio-visual narrative of the Somme battle. The Centre also features a museum area, with regularly changing exhibitions and a research facility, which is available to the public at a fee.
General Information
| Address: | 233 Bangor Road, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 7PH |
|---|---|
| Telephone; | 028-9182 3202 |
| Fax: | 028-9182 32 |
| Email: | sommeassociation@btconnect.com |
| Website: | http://www.irishsoldier.org |
| Location: | A21 Bangor to Newtownards |
| Season: | All Year (except Christmas: Closed from Dec 20 until Jan 14) |
| Open Times: | Apr-Jun & Sept: Mon-Thur: 10.00-16.00 Sat: 12.00-16.00 Jul-Aug: Mon-Fri: 10.00-17.00 Sat-Sun: 12.00- |
| Tours: | Max No: 20, Duration: 50 minutes Languages: English |
| Booking Contact: | sommeassociation@btconnect.com |
| Manager: | Carol Walker |
| Average Visit Length: | 1 1/2-2 hours |
| Entrance Fees: | Adult: Stg£4.25 / Child: Stg£3.25 |
| Audio Visual: | Seating: 20, Duration: 50 minutes |
| Exhibition: | Languages: English. Not part of tour and can be viewed at leisure |
| Restaurant: | Café serving light lunches, teas, coffee, traybakes and scones |
| Picnic Area: | No |
| Shop: | Shop |
| Information Guide: | English |
| Coach Parking: | Yes |
| Group Booking Necessary: | Yes |
| Car Parking: | Yes |
| Disabled Access/Parking: | Yes |
Schools
The Somme Heritage Centre is a Museum which examines Irish participation in the First World War. The war is an important element of History Key Stage 3. At present the Centre caters for around 7,000 school visits each year. Our exhibitions look at various aspects of the conflict - recruiting, training, trench warfare, etc. We also look at social history - such as the role played by women in the war. Our displays regularly change, and many of them are relevant to Irish history in general and particularly to issues related to Unionism and Nationalism. The centre now offers footage, interviews with veterans and handling objects for Second World War students. We offer all groups an object handling session (which must be booked in advance). The café can offer ‘school specials’, and we can cater for a maximum of 70 children
Conference & Incentive
The Somme Heritage Centre is an ideal venue for a range of events. Situated between the towns of Bangor and Newtownards, and just 10 miles from Belfast, the centre has excellent facilities which are available for hire. We can cater for business meetings, seminars, lectures, receptions or social events. Catering facilities are available
Colditz, Great Escapes and Escapades – The Irish Dimension
Make a home run to the Somme Heritage Centre in order to experience a new and exciting exhibition about Irish POWs and evaders. Visitors will have opportunities to learn about POWs, the conditions they experienced and the many successful and unsuccessful escape attempts that took place.
The exhibition produced by the Somme Heritage Centre, with the assistance of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, will focus on the reminiscences of Irish POWs from the two World Wars and will include:
* The Colditz Story * The Wooden Horse Escape
* The Great Escape * Evasion and Evaders
* Personal recollections * Personal artefacts
On display will be a large scale model of the notorious Colditz Castle showing various escape routes and a substantial collection of photographs received from Colditz Museum itself. The keys of the Inner Courtyard of Colditz castle have been in Northern Ireland for some time and are on display and so are the official MI9 debriefing papers of Billy Stevens from Holywood who conceived an escape and left with 3 others including Pat Reid.
There will also be information about the significant role played by the Red Cross and St John. This story is often overlooked but thanks to the commitment and dedication of Isabel Apsley the work of the Red Cross and St Johns War Organisation is vividly told in an excellent display cabinet. It is full of artefacts relating to the famous Red Cross parcels and other important work carried out by people back home.
Most people will remember the Great Escape and the Wooden Horse Escape but how many really appreciate the conditions in which the escapes were attempted. In recognition of this the exhibition has a full scale model of the Wooden Horse escape and a display showing what it was like to dig a tunnel in the Great Escape.
The exhibition was officially launched on Monday 5th October by Alfie Martin DFC who successfully evaded the Germans after he baled out of a crashing plane in April 1943. He succeeded in making contact with the Resistance Movement and with their help he was able to travel from Belgium through France before crossing the Pyrenees on his hands and knees. He travelled to Madrid and arrived in Gibraltar in June 1943. Throughout the journey he was constantly under threat from the Germans and he had several close escapes. A display cabinet has been given over to Alfie’s story and on display are his espadrilles he had to wear whilst climbing over the Pyrenees.
The exhibition will run from Autumn 2009 to Autumn 2010.
To accompany the exhibition two special lectures have been funded with the help of Ards Borough Council. These lectures are free to the public. The first lecture took place at the official launch and related to life within Colditz Castle. The second free lecture will take place at the Somme Heritage Centre on 24th November at 7:00 pm. Two short talks will be given by Northern Irish military historians Richard Doherty and David Truesdale. Richard will give a presentation on the Experiences of Irish POWs and David’s talk will concentrate on Evasion with particular reference to the Arnhem story.
