Nightingale exhibition in Derry pays tribute to nursing and midwifery heroes

Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Graham Warke, pictured with Prof. Martin Bradley, Secretary of Florence Nightingale Foundation Committee NI, and, from right, Student Nurse Isabel Stephenson and Roisin Doherty, curator, at the launch of the Florence Nightingale and Nursing in Ireland Exhibition held in the Tower Museum.

The temporary collection, which runs until July 3, has been developed in partnership with Ulster University’s School of Nursing which is based in the city.

It cover themes including nursing in wartime, nursing during the Troubles and nursing education and innovation in Northern Ireland.

It will also shine the spotlight on some of the inspirational individuals who led the way in the field of nursing, including Florence Nightingale, Ella Pirrie and Agnes Jones, whose work brought about many positive healthcare reforms.

Among the collection are some exciting pieces of archive material including an original voice recording of Florence Nightingale along with audio accounts of the work of today’s nurses and midwives, as well as a short film on their response to the COVID pandemic.

The exhibition was initially developed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale in 1820. Her research and writings led to worldwide healthcare reforms focusing on the importance of sanitation, control of cross infection, diet, the importance of clean air, good housing and access to clean water.

Florence Nightingale has several connections with Northern Ireland, primarily through her support for Ella Pirrie, the first Head Nurse of the Belfast Infirmary. A statue of Ella stands outside the Belfast City Hospital site where she’s depicted holding one of the many letters between herself and Miss Nightingale.

The other connection is with Agnes Jones, who was brought up in Fahan, Co. Donegal, where she is now buried. Agnes became the first Nursing Superintendent of the Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary, working closely with William Rathbone, the great 19th century social reformer.

Curator at the Tower Museum, Roisin Doherty, said: “While we’ve all heard of figures like Florence Nightingale, this exhibition also tells the story of the everyday healthcare heroes that we have come to rely on. It’s a privilege to provide a platform for them to tell their own story through this important collection.”

Sonja McIlfatrick, Head of the School of Nursing at Ulster University, added: “This opportunity to explore the contribution of nurses and midwives over the past two centuries is timely since never before in our lifetime has our profession been so visible, so vital and so valued.”