Our Museums are both housed in heritage buildings that are important to interpreting the historical development of our area.
Down County Museum is located in the historic buildings of the 18th century County Gaol of Down. The Gaol opened in 1796 and housed hundreds of inmates including those awaiting transportation to Australia.
Restoration work began in 1981 and today you can take a stroll through the gaol courtyards and visit the restored cells and sample the atmosphere of the Gaol.
Newry and Mourne Museum first opened in 1986 in Newry Arts Centre and moved to larger premises at Bagenal’s Castle in 2007. The Castle’s exact location was lost over the years due to constant adaptation of the building, not least when the premises were purchased by Arthur McCann Ltd in 1894 and converted into a bakery.
Rediscovered in 1996 when McCann’s sold the site, the Castle, and an adjoining warehouse built in the 1830s, have been sympathetically restored. During the restoration process, drawings from a survey of the Castle completed c.1568 allowed archaeologists to uncover many original features of the Castle and these have been interpreted for the visitor.
Down County Museum, Downpatrick is located in the historic buildings of the eighteenth century County Gaol of Down.