Museum Exhibition Tells Story of Newry as Global Trade Hub

Newry and Mourne Museum has opened a new exhibition exploring how the city became an international trading hub almost 300 years ago, transforming the lives of local people and providing employment for generations.

The free exhibition, Making Waves: Newry's Rise as a Global Trade Centre, runs until September 2026 and tells the story through artefacts and information boards from the museum's collection.

The exhibition, which opened on 16 October, looks at how the influx of goods from around the world changed the Port of Newry and the surrounding region forever. Maritime trade provided work for local people including merchants and sailors, as well as dockers and customs officers. Visitors can see how Newry became a bustling global marketplace, with imported goods like minerals and sugar filling the warehouses of Sugar Island and Merchants Quay, whilst Newry granite, whiskey and fine linen were exported to destinations worldwide.

Everyday items from the era are on display, including postcards, paper bags for loose tea, receipts for tobacco and flax seed, and 18th century consignment notices for linen bound for America. A complimentary booklet of essays accompanies the exhibition, offering more detail on subjects including 19th century businesses, women's work and the port, emigration, and the historical development of the port itself.

At the launch event, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Deputy Chairperson Councillor Geraldine Kearns thanked everyone involved in developing the exhibition and booklet. She said: "We can see the huge importance the canal and port had in Newry's development through its architectural heritage, as many warehouses and businesses constructed along its quays are still visible today, including the houses built by the merchants featured in the exhibition. This exhibition by Newry and Mourne Museum is vital in helping us to understand and appreciate that history, connecting past generations with the present and ensuring that the legacy of Newry's trading and maritime heritage is preserved for the future."

Shân Anena, Curator at Newry and Mourne Museum, said: "This exhibition allowed us to explore histories seldom linked with the port. The stories of women and the port's connections to slavery are not usually heard, but they are a vital part of our history that helps us better understand ourselves."

The exhibition is free to visit and runs until September 2026. Entrance to Newry and Mourne Museum is free of charge.

For more information on the exhibition, telephone 0330 137 4034. For opening hours and details of other events and exhibitions, telephone 0330 137 4422.