The Monaghan Spitfire – Life on the Border with a World at War has become Monaghan County Museum’s most successful exhibition in its 45 year history. The success of this stunning display was added to recently when Monaghan County Museum was recognised for its ground breaking exhibition at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards. The museum won in a category which was loaded with numerous excellent projects from around the country focussed on our national heritage. Nonetheless, this multi award winning service beat off very stiff competition to reaffirm its credentials as one of the finest cultural services in the country.

 

Speaking after the awards Museum Curator, Liam Bradley, spoke of the personal as well as professional impact of this national award for excellence; ‘We at the museum are a  team, first and foremost. We recently lost a key member of that team in our long serving friend and colleague, Noel Breakey. This exhibition was the last that Noel ever mounted in the museum and we want to honour his memory with this award’.

 

This incendiary display, which was developed in partnership with numerous organisations both north and south of the border including the Royal Air Force, Queen’s University Belfast and the Irish Air Corp, and with input from the Imperial War Museum in London, explores the deadly experience of a county which existed on the border between two worlds: one tearing itself apart and another, trying desperately to stay out of a global conflict which had almost engulfed it.

Using never before seen artefacts and images as well as chilling first-hand accounts, this enthralling exhibit takes the viewer on an exciting journey through life and death in the region during the turbulent years of World War II, known in the Republic of Ireland as ‘The Emergency’.

This nationally acclaimed and award winning display will run until the end of the year. If you haven’t made it to the museum yet to experience The Monaghan Spitfire, don’t miss you last opportunity.

For further details, visit www.monaghan.ie/museum , follow the museum on Facebook, call at (047)8298 or most importantly drop in to visit the museum at 1 -2 Hill Street Monaghan Town. The Museum is open Monday to Friday 11am to 5pm and Saturday 12pm to 5pm.