Latest news with #NationalMuseumsNorthernIreland
Belfast Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
New chief executive of Tourism NI announced
Mrs McCorry will be leaving her current position as head of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens to take over from Mr McGrillen, who had been in post for a decade. She has worked for Tourism NI in the past as the director of product development, and, before that, as director of corporate development. She has also worked for National Museums Northern Ireland as public engagement director. Earlier in her career she specialised in inward development, working in the United States for Invest NI, the agency responsible for foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland, and also for the North England Inward Investment Agency. At Hillsborough, Mrs McCorry oversaw the conservation and management of the royal residence. She is also a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and board member of Tourism Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. She is the first woman to fill the role of Tourism NI CEO. News Catchup - Monday 9th June 2025 Mrs McCorry said: 'I am delighted to have been appointed as Tourism NI's new chief executive. 'Tourism NI is a fantastic organisation with a passionate team and I'm excited to work together to grow the tourism economy in a way that benefits communities, businesses and visitors alike.' Ellvena Graham, chair of Tourism NI said: 'I am delighted to welcome Laura as our new chief executive. 'Laura brings with her a wealth of experience in leadership in the tourism industry and her expertise will guide Tourism NI in our ambitious plans to support the delivery of the Minister's Tourism Vision and Action Plan. 'I would like to thank our outgoing CEO, John McGrillen for his exceptional leadership of the organisation over the past 10 years and wish him well in his next chapter.'
Belfast Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Head of Hillsborough Castle named new CEO of Tourism NI
Mrs McCorry will be leaving her current position as head of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens to take over from Mr McGrillen, who had been in post for a decade. She has worked for Tourism NI in the past as the director of product development, and, before that, as director of corporate development. She has also worked for National Museums Northern Ireland as public engagement director. Earlier in her career she specialised in inward development, working in the United States for Invest NI, the agency responsible for foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland, and also for the North England Inward Investment Agency. At Hillsborough, Mrs McCorry oversaw the conservation and management of the royal residence. She is also a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and board member of Tourism Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. She is the first woman to fill the role of Tourism NI CEO. News Catchup - Monday 9th June 2025 Mrs McCorry said: 'I am delighted to have been appointed as Tourism NI's new chief executive. 'Tourism NI is a fantastic organisation with a passionate team and I'm excited to work together to grow the tourism economy in a way that benefits communities, businesses and visitors alike.' Ellvena Graham, chair of Tourism NI said: 'I am delighted to welcome Laura as our new chief executive. 'Laura brings with her a wealth of experience in leadership in the tourism industry and her expertise will guide Tourism NI in our ambitious plans to support the delivery of the Minister's Tourism Vision and Action Plan. 'I would like to thank our outgoing CEO, John McGrillen for his exceptional leadership of the organisation over the past 10 years and wish him well in his next chapter.'
The Journal
29-04-2025
- General
- The Journal
Human remains taken from Hawaiian burial caves repatriated from Belfast
THREE SETS OF ancestral human remains taken from burial caves in Hawaii and brought to Belfast in the 19th century have been repatriated. National Museums Northern Ireland returned the remains, known as iwi kupuna in the Hawaiian language, in a private ceremony following dialogue with the authorities in the US island state. They will now be taken back to Hawaii. A separate public ceremony was held in the Ulster Museum in Belfast on Monday evening and attended by representatives from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Hui Iwi Kuamo'o – an organisation established to protect the islands' ancient remains – and the United States embassy. The return of the remains comes three years after another repatriation from National Museums NI to Hawaii. The 2022 event involved the return of two sets of iwi kupuna as well as five sacred items (known as mea kapu). A request for the return of three other sets of remains went unfulfilled at that time as the museum authorities were uncertain of their whereabouts in Northern Ireland. Based on research into all the remains, it is believed Belfast-born ethnologist Gordon Augustus Thomson, who travelled to Hawaii island in 1840, removed them from burial caves. It is understood he donated them to the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society in 1857. They were then included in a 1910 donation to the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery, a precursor to Ulster Museum and National Museums NI. After the 2022 repatriation ceremony, National Museums NI committed to continuing to search for the three other sets of remains that could not be located. It said the uncertainty on their whereabouts was due to the absence of professional collection management practices at the time of their donation. In 2024, the three iwi kupuna were located during a review of human remains in the National Museums NI collections and the OHA was subsequently notified. The public ceremony at the Ulster Museum on Monday included the formal signing of repatriation documents. Stacy Ferreira from the OHA highlighted the significance of the occasion. Advertisement 'With deep humility and reverence, we witness the healing of a long-standing kaumaha (sadness),' she said. 'The return of our iwi kupuna is about restoring dignity, healing generations, and reaffirming the living spirit of our ancestors.' Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said the repatriation was representative of the organisation's commitment to addressing wrongs of the past. 'Whilst the motivation behind the acquisition of ethnological material can appear strange today, it reflected curiosity about the wider world and a desire to represent diverse cultures,' she said. 'However, the European bias and power imbalances that often characterised this collecting have left a complex and sensitive legacy for us to address today. 'National Museums NI believes it has ethical responsibilities to redress any injustices shown to cultural values and traditions. 'There was regret when we found ourselves unable to honour the full repatriation request from Hawaii in 2022, so we are pleased this has now been resolved. We are grateful to Hawaii for its support, patience and respect throughout the process. 'We remain in ongoing liaison with various source communities around the world and are open to further repatriations as these engagements develop.' Hannah Crowdy, head of curatorial at National Museums NI, said the museums sector was on an 'ongoing journey with decolonisation'. 'Inclusive Global Histories is National Museums NI's programme for the decolonisation of our museums and collections,' she said. 'It involves ongoing dialogue and collaboration with communities both here in Northern Ireland and further afield. 'With their support and guidance, we are re-evaluating the 4,500 items in the World Cultures Collection. We want to better understand and ethically represent the often-complex stories they carry, including how and why they came to be in Belfast. 'The vision of the programme, which includes a dedicated exhibition at the Ulster Museum, is one of respect, empathy and reconciliation as it aims to promote dialogue between those of different national and cultural identities. 'It's a powerful reminder of the role museums can play in identity and peacebuilding and how our collections allow us to understand and address the past, question the present, and shape new thinking that will create a better future for everyone.'
RTÉ News
29-04-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Remains taken from Hawaiian burial caves repatriated from Northern Ireland
Three sets of ancestral human remains taken from burial caves in Hawaii and brought to Belfast in the 19th century have been repatriated. National Museums Northern Ireland returned the remains, known as iwi kupuna in the Hawaiian language, in a private ceremony following dialogue with the authorities in the US island state. A separate public ceremony was held in the Ulster Museum in Belfast yesterday evening and attended by representatives from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Hui Iwi Kuamo'o - an organisation established to protect the islands' ancient remains - and the United States embassy. The return of the remains comes three years after another repatriation from National Museums NI to Hawaii. The 2022 event involved the return of two sets of iwi kupuna as well as five sacred items (known as mea kapu). A request for the return of three other sets of remains went unfulfilled at that time as the museum authorities were uncertain of their whereabouts in Northern Ireland. Based on research into all the remains, it is believed Belfast-born ethnologist Gordon Augustus Thomson, who travelled to Hawaii island in 1840, removed them from burial caves. It is understood he donated them to the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society in 1857. They were then included in a 1910 donation to the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery, a precursor to Ulster Museum and National Museums NI. After the 2022 repatriation ceremony, National Museums NI committed to continuing to search for the three other sets of remains that could not be located. It said the uncertainty on their whereabouts was due to the absence of professional collection management practises at the time of their donation. In 2024, the three iwi kupuna were located during a review of human remains in the National Museums NI collections and the OHA was subsequently notified. The public ceremony at the Ulster Museum yersterday included the formal signing of repatriation documents. Stacy Ferreira from the OHA highlighted the significance of the occasion. "With deep humility and reverence, we witness the healing of a long-standing kaumaha (sadness)," she said. "The return of our iwi kupuna is about restoring dignity, healing generations, and reaffirming the living spirit of our ancestors." Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said the repatriation was representative of the organisation's commitment to addressing wrongs of the past. "Whilst the motivation behind the acquisition of ethnological material can appear strange today, it reflected curiosity about the wider world and a desire to represent diverse cultures," she said. "However, the European bias and power imbalances that often characterised this collecting have left a complex and sensitive legacy for us to address today. "National Museums NI believes it has ethical responsibilities to redress any injustices shown to cultural values and traditions. "There was regret when we found ourselves unable to honour the full repatriation request from Hawaii in 2022, so we are pleased this has now been resolved. We are grateful to Hawaii for its support, patience and respect throughout the process. "We remain in ongoing liaison with various source communities around the world and are open to further repatriations as these engagements develop." Hannah Crowdy, head of curatorial at National Museums NI, said the museum sector was on an "ongoing journey with decolonisation". "Inclusive Global Histories is National Museums NI's programme for the decolonisation of our museums and collections," she said. "It involves ongoing dialogue and collaboration with communities both here in Northern Ireland and further afield. "With their support and guidance, we are re-evaluating the 4,500 items in the World Cultures Collection. We want to better understand and ethically represent the often-complex stories they carry, including how and why they came to be in Belfast. "The vision of the programme, which includes a dedicated exhibition at the Ulster Museum, is one of respect, empathy and reconciliation as it aims to promote dialogue between those of different national and cultural identities. "It's a powerful reminder of the role museums can play in identity and peacebuilding and how our collections allow us to understand and address the past, question the present, and shape new thinking that will create a better future for everyone."
The Independent
29-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Human remains taken from Hawaiian burial caves repatriated from Northern Ireland
Three sets of ancestral human remains taken from burial caves in Hawaii and brought to Belfast in the 19th century have been repatriated. National Museums Northern Ireland returned the remains, known as iwi kupuna in the Hawaiian language, in a private ceremony following dialogue with the authorities in the US island state. They will now be taken back to Hawaii. A separate public ceremony was held in the Ulster Museum in Belfast on Monday evening and attended by representatives from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Hui Iwi Kuamo'o – an organisation established to protect the islands' ancient remains – and the United States embassy. The return of the remains comes three years after another repatriation from National Museums NI to Hawaii. The 2022 event involved the return of two sets of iwi kupuna as well as five sacred items (known as mea kapu). A request for the return of three other sets of remains went unfulfilled at that time as the museum authorities were uncertain of their whereabouts in Northern Ireland. Based on research into all the remains, it is believed Belfast-born ethnologist Gordon Augustus Thomson, who travelled to Hawaii island in 1840, removed them from burial caves. It is understood he donated them to the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society in 1857. They were then included in a 1910 donation to the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery, a precursor to Ulster Museum and National Museums NI. After the 2022 repatriation ceremony, National Museums NI committed to continuing to search for the three other sets of remains that could not be located. It said the uncertainty on their whereabouts was due to the absence of professional collection management practices at the time of their donation. In 2024, the three iwi kupuna were located during a review of human remains in the National Museums NI collections and the OHA was subsequently notified. The public ceremony at the Ulster Museum on Monday included the formal signing of repatriation documents. Stacy Ferreira from the OHA highlighted the significance of the occasion. 'With deep humility and reverence, we witness the healing of a long-standing kaumaha (sadness),' she said. 'The return of our iwi kupuna is about restoring dignity, healing generations, and reaffirming the living spirit of our ancestors.' Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said the repatriation was representative of the organisation's commitment to addressing wrongs of the past. 'Whilst the motivation behind the acquisition of ethnological material can appear strange today, it reflected curiosity about the wider world and a desire to represent diverse cultures,' she said. 'However, the European bias and power imbalances that often characterised this collecting have left a complex and sensitive legacy for us to address today. 'National Museums NI believes it has ethical responsibilities to redress any injustices shown to cultural values and traditions. 'There was regret when we found ourselves unable to honour the full repatriation request from Hawaii in 2022, so we are pleased this has now been resolved. We are grateful to Hawaii for its support, patience and respect throughout the process. 'We remain in ongoing liaison with various source communities around the world and are open to further repatriations as these engagements develop.' Hannah Crowdy, head of curatorial at National Museums NI, said the museums sector was on an 'ongoing journey with decolonisation'. 'Inclusive Global Histories is National Museums NI's programme for the decolonisation of our museums and collections,' she said. 'It involves ongoing dialogue and collaboration with communities both here in Northern Ireland and further afield. 'With their support and guidance, we are re-evaluating the 4,500 items in the World Cultures Collection. We want to better understand and ethically represent the often-complex stories they carry, including how and why they came to be in Belfast. 'The vision of the programme, which includes a dedicated exhibition at the Ulster Museum, is one of respect, empathy and reconciliation as it aims to promote dialogue between those of different national and cultural identities. 'It's a powerful reminder of the role museums can play in identity and peacebuilding and how our collections allow us to understand and address the past, question the present, and shape new thinking that will create a better future for everyone.'
