The history of Irish involvement in the British Army will be told in a new museum planned across two sites in Belfast and Enniskillen.
The £13.6million project will trace the 350-year story of Irish soldiers and their families who served.
‘Untold: The Museum’ will be located at the restored linen warehouse at 28 Bedford Street in Belfast, with a second site at redeveloped galleries at Enniskillen Castle.
The beautifully restored, listed linen warehouse at 28 Bedford Street, situated in the heart of the Linen Quarter
Phase one of the project, in Belfast, is expected to open in summer 2027.
Hugh Crossey, chair of the new museum, said: “Untold stories of the Irish in the British Army will hopefully inspire people to see things differently and make meaningful connections across generations.”
Iconic Water Gate at Enniskillen Castle, the historic site where Tiffin’s Regiment was raised in the 17th Century
During the 19th century, around 40% of the British Army comprised soldiers from across the island of Ireland.
Nowhere was the Irish influence in the British military more evident than at the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon Bonaparte famously described the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot as “the most obstinate mules I ever saw.”
The victorious Duke of Wellington likewise praised Corporal James Graham from Co Monaghan — one of the 7,000 Irish who fought in the battle – as “the bravest man at Waterloo.”
Pte Duffy, born in Gweedore, Co. Donegal, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions as a stretcher bearer on 27 December 1917 (Royal Irish – Virtual Military Gallery)
Some 103 years later, on November 23, 1918, Irish soldiers once again took to the field at Waterloo. The 2nd Leinsters became the first British Army Regiment to march across the battlefield since Napoleon’s defeat in 1815.Funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will support the planning phase, helping to recognise, explore and preserve the shared heritage of Irish men and women’s contributions.
The Heritage Fund has awarded initial development funding of £249,239, with an application for a full National Lottery grant of £1,721,595 to be made later.
The new museum brand, UNTOLD Stories of the Irish in the British Army, has been developed to appeal to a wider audience
The project will bring together collections from The Inniskillings Museum, The Royal Ulster Rifles Museum, The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, The Royal Irish Regiment Museum, The Collections and Archives of The Royal Irish Regiment and The Collections and Archives of The North Irish Horse. Southern disbanded regiments will also be included.
The Battle of Waterloo (Royal Irish – Virtual Military Gallery)
Mr Crossey added: “Education will be at the heart of all the exhibitions, offering our visitors the chance to explore the lives of the Irish men and women who rose above divisions of class, politics and religion and overcame extremes of hardship to make an indelible mark on our history.
“In sharing these stories, Untold seeks to contribute to ongoing peace and reconciliation across the island.
“We are already surprised at the number of people from a range of traditions who have discovered ancestral and family histories amongst Irish regiments in the British Army.
“When fully completed I would encourage everyone to visit this new immersive exhibition and learn more about our — and potentially their — shared heritage.”
Dr Paul Mullan, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Northern Ireland director, said the new museum would bring “an exceptional heritage building in Belfast’s Linen Quarter” back into use.