Museum of Free Derry gets £500,000 extra funding

The announcement was made by Culture Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín, who visited Derry at the weekend.

The £500,000 is in addition to the £2.4m redevelopment project which has already been announced.

The new museum will be located in Glenfada Park and construction work is expected to be completed by June 2016.

“We’re [the Bloody Sunday Trust] delighted to have this support from DCAL, especially at this pivotal time in the museum’s history,” said trust chair, Julieanne Campbell.

“We thank the Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and everyone involved for sharing our vision for the future, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the new state-of-the-art Museum of Free Derry when it opens in Glenfada Park later this year,” added Ms. Campbell.

Minister Ní Chuilín made the announcement during a visit to the museum construction site on Saturday.

“The Museum of Free Derry is a unique project which will tell the story of the recent history of Derry,” said Minister Ní Chuilín.

“It is situated right at the heart of where the traumatic events of Bloody Sunday took place and will vividly portray the impact, trauma and division of ‘the Troubles’ directly, through education and the exploration of the root causes of the conflict.”

Minister Ní Chuilín said she believed the new museum would make a vital contribution to the local tourism industry and she congratulated the Bloody Sunday Trust for persevering with their campaign to make sure the story of what happened on the streets of Derry on January 30, 1972 was told.

“As the first museum to deal directly with ‘the Troubles’, it will also play a significant role in the ongoing debate around how events of the conflict should be suitably remembered and recorded.

“I have no doubt that it will contribute immensely to the tourism and economy of the city and the wider north-west.

“I commend the Bloody Sunday Trust and the co-funders of the project for their support for what is an integral part of our shared future.”

Minister Ní Chuilín also visited the site of the Dasiyfield playing pitches which are also being re-developed.