Ideas sought for NI conflict museum

Plans for a "living" museum of the conflict in Northern Ireland were put forward at a public workshop at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin yesterday.

Healing Through Remembering (HTR), a Northern Ireland cross-community organisation, is seeking ideas on how to develop the museum as a memorial to all those affected by the conflict.

Members of the public yesterday brought drawings and photographs, and made written and oral submissions on their vision of what the museum should be.

Suggestions included a mobile museum in a tent which would travel around the country in spring and summer; a garden memorial with an emphasis on bridges and pathways; and a conventional museum with travelling exhibitions. An internet element was also proposed.

Project chairman Alan McBride said the museum would be a way of keeping memories alive and ensuring lessons are learned for the future. "This educational element helps future generations to understand the conflict as they remember those killed, injured and bereaved."

HTR was launched in 2001 to look at ways of dealing with the past in relation to the 30-year conflict around Northern Ireland.

Similar workshops to that in Dublin have already been held in Dundalk, Armagh, Enniskillen and London. Another two will be held on September 7th in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast and on September 16th at The Junction in Derry.

The closing date for submissions is September 30th. These can be written or take the form of a photograph, drawing, sketch or painting.

Photographs of models are welcome, and multimedia submissions such as DVDs or CD-roms may also be submitted.