Maritime Museum Themes

Emigration

Emigration

Migration from Ireland has been recorded since the Early Middle Ages. Numbers fluctuated but increased to what could be classed as mass emigration during periods of famine, religious persecution and economic downturns.

The first exodus of Ulster Scots began in 1718.  Famines and economic declines kept emigration at high levels during the 1800’s. Economic decline in the 1900’s kept the pattern going until the 1930’s.

All these migrations were by sea and Derry’s rail connections added to its trans-Atlantic sea-borne trading history and made it an important hub for emigration and trans-Atlantic trade.

Emigrants originally left by sail from Derry and Moville. Later, as steam overtook sail, emigrants left directly from Moville Bay or, via local coastal steamer services, from Glasgow and Liverpool.

Emigrants also left Derry and Moville to settle in the UK and to join emigrant ships from Glasgow, Liverpool and Southampton to America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

We highly recommend booking in advance to ensure your spot, as ticket holders will be given priority access.

Family and group rates available. School groups especially welcome!

More Maritime Museum Themes
Drontheim Boat
Focuses on the traditional Drontheim, a prevalent fishing boat along Ireland's North Coast, vital for local fisheries.
Sea Captains
Celebrating Inishowen's seafaring heritage, highlighting local captains who commanded global maritime ventures.
Main Head Radio Station
Established in 1902, this station played a crucial role in maritime communications, including contact with the RMS Titanic.
HMS-Black-Swan
Chronicles the evolution of Ireland's naval forces from early coastal defense to a full naval service established in 1946.
Shipwrecks
Highlights the perilous waters off Inishowen that have claimed numerous ships, documented through museum exhibits.
latrinidad
Tells the story of a 16th-century Spanish Armada ship wrecked off Inishowen, with artifacts displayed in the museum.

Visitor Reviews

Our visitors testimonials shine a light on the wonders, memories and moments that await you at Inishowen Maritime Museum & Planetarium

Aaron Mooney

A brilliant attraction with something for everyone. A fascinating insight into the history of Greencastle, as well as Inishowen more widely. The VR experiences were wonderfully engaging and heightened the experience. For such a small fee, the Museum is more than worth it!

Olena Anoricheva

The museum is excellent! It is really really worth it, especially for teenagers and adults. I didn’t expect the museum to be so great! Very educational. Everybody who’s interested in ships, lighthouses, radio technology and ship wreckage findings should visit it. There’s even a virtual reality simulator to play as a Lieutenant of a ship.

Fionn D

A brilliant museum with many unique and interesting artefacts. Being able to see all the items up close and being able to touch and operate some of the receivers and radios. The VR experience was also brilliant ! The collection of various items, from war medals, and pieces of shipwrecks and crashed bombers was very […]

Raymond Mackey

 Brilliant local museum, housed in historic coastguard buildings. The museum has a wide range of displays, ranging from the recent history of local lighthouses right back to the ruins of ships from the Spanish Armada. There are many links drawn with the local areas history and connection to the sea and fishing. Well worth a […]

Esther Upritchard

Excellent experience, beautifully set in an amazing building . To be honest, we didn’t even know it was there (Googled for places to see in the area ). The weather made it all the more enjoyable . Lovely staff friendly and helpful, we will return to see the planetarium which we missed out on.

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