The Linen Hall

02/10/2026

We are so excited that our 'Fragments of Scotch Poetry’ Poetry Jukebox, which features specially commissioned poems responding to the work of Robert Burns and his contemporaries in Ulster, is part of wonderful Wigtown Book Festival. The Jukebox will be in Wigtown for the whole of October. A huge thank you to Wigtown Book Festival for hosting the jukebox and to the Ulster-Scots Agency and Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann for their financial support in taking the jukebox to Scotland.

The Fragments of Scotch Poetry curation was produced by The Linen Hall with support from Communities NI.

01/10/2026

We were thrilled to welcome so many of you to our event for National Poetry Day today. Poets Maureen Boyle, Deirdre Cartmill and Csilla Toldy helped us celebrate the theme of 'Wonder' in style.

A huge thank you to them and to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the The National Lottery.

01/10/2026

WE ARE HIRING! FACILITIES OFFICER
£29,642 (pro rata)

To ensure the safe, efficient, and effective maintenance of the library and museum buildings, grounds, equipment, and facilities. The postholder will support the preservation of collections by maintaining appropriate environmental conditions, carrying out routine repairs, overseeing contractors, and ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.

To learn more and to apply, please visit: https://linenhall.com/we-are-hiring-facilities-officer/

Job title: Facilities Officer Salary: njc pt 12 – £29,642 (pro rata) Reporting to: Operations Manager Working hours: It is envisaged that this role could be two part-time roles of […]

01/10/2026

We are open until 7pm tonight for late night art!

Come and explore our fantastic new exhibition, HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS by Niamh Ferguson.

Niamh is a Belfast-based artist and printmaker whose work explores themes of capture, control, and freedom through the lens of Celtic mythology. Drawing inspiration from tales such as The Children of Lir and The Morrígan, Ferguson reimagines myth within contemporary urban landscapes shaped by conflict and division. Her etchings and printmaking examine the tension between harsh industrial environments and symbols of nature, memory, and transformation.

Influenced by local political history, her work reflects on surveillance, barriers, and resilience. Through unresolved imagery and symbolic contrasts, Ferguson invites viewers to contemplate identity and the enduring struggle between captivity and transcendence.

01/10/2026

Happy National Poetry Day 🎉

Come and celebrate with us today at 1pm as we listen to wonderful readings from Maureen Boyle, Deirdre Cartmill and Csilla Toldy.

To learn more please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/wonder-readings-for-national-poetry-day/

To mark National Poetry Day, The Linen Hall is delighted to host a lunchtime poetry reading with three Arlen House poets – Maureen Boyle, Deirdre Cartmill and Csilla Toldy. At […]

29/09/2026

FUNDRAISER for The Linen Hall
The Play For Peace
£25, Tue 6 Oct, 7pm - 8:30pm

Actors Dan Gordon (John Hume) and Ruairi Conaghan (David Trimble) led the cast of ‘Agreement’, the recent award-winning political drama by Owen McCafferty exploring the negotiations that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement and highlighted the complexities and personalities of those involved.

Dan and Ruairi will be ‘in conversation’ with journalist and author Brian Rowan discussing how they approached playing such well-known real-life characters; their research into the political minefield of the time; and the intersection between politics and personalities explored in ‘Agreement’. As authors, journalists and playwrights, they will also talk about how the conflict impacted and influenced their own writing.

An exhibition drawn from Rowan’s reporting archive will be on display giving unique insight into the ongoing events of the period.

To learn more and to book a ticket, please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/the-play-for-peace-fundraiser-for-the-linen-hall/

Actors Dan Gordon (John Hume) and Ruairi Conaghan (David Trimble) led the cast of ‘Agreement’, the recent award-winning political drama by Owen McCafferty exploring the negotiations that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement […]

28/09/2026

We are deeply saddened by the death of Gordon Lucy, who served as a Board member of The Linen Hall.

An accomplished historian, writer and speaker, Gordon brought an extraordinary breadth of knowledge and a lifelong passion for history to his work. His intellectual curiosity, wit and willingness to share his knowledge will be remembered with great affection.

We are grateful for his contribution to The Linen Hall and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends and all who knew him.

25/09/2026

New Robert Burns Bursary - £2,500

The Linen Hall invites applications from writers for the inaugural Andrew Gibson Collection of Robert Burns Bursary aimed at the development and creation of new work inspired by the collection.

The Bursary is funded through the Ulster-Scots Agency and The Linen Hall to commemorate Andrew Gibson, a former Governor of The Linen Hall and prolific collector of Burns material, whose Gibson Collection, bought by public subscription and placed in the library, is a cornerstone of The Linen Hall’s collections.

Applicants must be available to access the Gibson Collection. The bursary is for a total of £2,500 and funded work must take place between October and December 2026.

To learn more please visit: https://linenhall.com/new-robert-burns-bursary/

Part of the Andrew Gibson Collection at The Linen Hall Description The Linen Hall invites applications from writers for the inaugural Andrew Gibson Collection of Robert Burns Bursary aimed at […]

25/09/2026

Keeping the Lines Open Exhibition: The Story of the Peace Trains
28th October - 27th November

The Peace Train movement hired and ran seven ‘Peace Trains’ between Dublin and Belfast between 1989 and 1995 to protest against paramilitary bombings and repeated attacks on the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise railway line.

Using posters, photographs, correspondence, and a wide range of archive materials from The Linen Hall collections, Keeping the Lines Open tells the powerful story of this fascinating movement and its campaign for peace.

To learn more please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/keeping-the-lines-open-exhibition-the-story-of-the-peace-trains/

23/09/2026

Good Relations Week Workshop
16th October – 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Free

To mark Good Relations Week, and its theme of Include, The Linen Hall is holding a workshop to showcase our collections and the ways in which they reflect the rich diversity and vibrant life of communities across Northern Ireland.

Join our Collections team as they present a range of historic and contemporary items from our archives.

To learn more and to book please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/good-relations-week-workshop/