Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History Museum Tours and Activities

Located in nationalist West Belfast, the Irish Republican History Museum opened its doors in 2007 in a former linen building dating back to 1842. It focuses on the Republican’s involvement in The Troubles, a war that ripped Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom apart between 1968 and 1998. The conflict opposed nationalist to royalists, with the constitutional status of Northern Ireland being at the heart of the debate. It claimed the lives of over 3,500 people and injured roughly 50,000, and although it was deemed over by the turn of the century, sporadic bouts of violence still occur nowadays.

The Irish Republican History Museum came to be after persistent campaigning by Eileen Hickey, who used to be the Officer Commanding of the Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners in Armagh Women's prison during the Troubles. She dedicated most of her life to preserving the artifacts and relics she had collected throughout the war, which include many donations from local families, like handicrafts made by imprisoned Republicans, weapons, archive pictures and posters, as well as several items of clothing. The museum also houses a small interpretative center and a library.