Construction work has begun to transform a former hospital in Derry-Londonderry into a new £15m museum exploring the city’s maritime, cultural, and social history.
A gathering of partners, local politicians, and ministers involved in the project took place last week at the northwest walled city’s Ebrington Square, close to the banks of Lough Foyle. The event officially marked the breaking of ground on the project, which will be called the Derry-Londonderry on the North Atlantic (DNA) Museum, which, Afloat previously reported, was granted planning permission last year.
The site of the DNA is located a short walk from the city’s famous Peace Bridge, and the new museum will house artifacts and collections capturing the history of the northwest of Ireland. The artifacts will be housed at the former Ebrington Barracks, a military fort dating to 1841, which served as an Allied naval base during WW2 and as such played an important role in the Battle of the Atlantic. This battle was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, which ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
The maritime museum was first proposed in 2013, and since then the venue’s remit has evolved to have a broader focus than originally intended. It will now focus on two distinct historic events in the city. This is to highlight the wave of emigration through the port in the late 18th century and the crucial role of the city during WW2, from which about 60 German U-boats surrendered in May 1945 with the vessels moored at the Royal Navy jetty at Lisahally, the city's current commercial port.
More from the Museums Association on this significant development of the DNA project.
