This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with Victory in Europe Day (8 May 1945) and Victory over Japan Day (15 August 1945) symbolising the formal cessation of global hostilities. To mark this significant milestone, Newry and Mourne Museum is hosting a special commemorative talk exploring how these historic moments were celebrated across County Down.
Guest speaker Michael Burns, Research Officer at the Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM), will visit the Museum on Thursday 8 May at 2pm. Michael curates the NIWM’s extensive oral history collection and will share vivid recollections of street parties, parades, bonfires and dances in places like Banbridge, Crossgar and Newtownards, offering an evocative window into life in Northern Ireland in 1945.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Chairperson Councillor Pete Byrne said, “This 80th anniversary is a time for both remembrance and reflection. The end of the Second World War was a defining moment in world history, and it is important we continue to honour the stories of those who lived through it. Events like this not only commemorate victory but help us understand its cost and the resilience of those who endured those difficult years. I encourage everyone to come along and engage with this powerful history.”
While these moments of joy brought communities together in celebration, they were also marked by sombre reflection. Post-war anxieties began to surface as the world learned more about the horrors of the Holocaust and the devastating aftermath of the atomic bombings in Japan. As we commemorate 80 years since the end of the war, this event provides a meaningful opportunity to reflect not only on victory, but on the cost of conflict.
Alongside the talk, the Museum will display a number of poignant wartime artefacts, including the uniform of PFC James Quinn, a local man from near Kilkeel, who served in the Allied advance into Germany after the D-Day Landings, and a Burton suit belonging to James Murphy, also of Kilkeel, who served in North Africa with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
The talk will take place at Newry & Mourne Museum, Bagenal’s Castle, on Thursday 8 May at 2pm. Entry is free of charge.
To book or for more information, please contact: Declan.Carroll@nmandd.org
