Events

ATTENTION ALL SEWERS

The sewing room at Larne Museum & Arts Centre will be open on Fridays for 6 weeks beginning Friday 13th March 2026.

Fridays - 12.30pm - 3.00pm

Dates: 13th/20th/27th March, 10th/17th/24th April

Bring your own sewing task and use our facilities including sewing machines (or bring your own) with space to cut out and iron etc.

Finish off those sewing jobs that have piled up. Fix those alterations with help from others.

Stay for a wee while, or all day (don’t forget to bring a lunch).

No need to book.

For more information, please contact Larne Museum & Arts Centre on 028 28 262443 or e-mail marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk. 

Every Photo Tells A Story – A talk by Dr David Hume

Thursday 26th March 2026, 7.30pm – 9.00pm

A talk which takes particular photos and tells the story behind them.  

When Ballycarry man the late Tom McDowell wanted to get a photo of farmer Sam Allen, for example, he knew he would never get him to pose so he tried to hide the fact he was taking a photo. When the shutter clicked, he had to cope with an angry man; but the photo he took is an outstanding character study! This is just one example of the mix of photos, some snapshots and others more formal but all highly interesting and capturing a moment in history.

The speaker has been taking photographs since he got a camera as a gift in his teens, and has been collecting historical images for around 30 years, so this will be an evening catering for a wide range of interests.

This is a free event, however places are limited and should be booked in advance by contacting Larne Museum & Arts Centre on 028 28 262443 or by e-mailing marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.  Light refreshments provided. 

Carnegie Day

Larne Museum & Arts Centre

Saturday 4th April 2026, 12.00pm – 3.00pm

Today Larne Museum & Arts Centre celebrates 120 years since the official opening of the Larne Carnegie Free Library building.

Join us for an afternoon of family friendly activities, as we celebrate 120 years since the official opening of Larne Carnegie Free Library in 1906!

Activities include arts & crafts, Teddy Bear Clinic and Doll Hospital, Archaeology, bubbles and magic!  See below for more information.

10.00am – 4.00pm:  The John Clifford Gallery will be hosting “Thin Place”, an Art Exhibition by Bob Speers. 

12.00pm – 3.00pm:  Learn about the prehistory and archaeology of the Larne area, with artefacts from the museum’s collection. If you have collected any prehistoric flint tools from the area, bring them along to be analysed by an archaeologist!

12.00pm – 3.00pm:  Teddy Bear Clinic and Doll Hospital

12.00pm – 3.00pm:  Join our crafters for demonstrations of knitting, sewing and lace making

12.00pm – 3.00pm:  Learn how to make a Victorian Puzzle Purse

12.00pm – 1.30pm:  Bubble fun with Bubble Trouble. 

12.00pm – 2.30pm:  Larne Library Information Stand

12.30pm – 2.30pm:  Join in paper weaving and bookmark activities with Kathleen’s Attic. 

12.45pm – 2.45pm:  Magical fun with Caolan McBride.

Everyone welcome!  This is a free drop-in family event however children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, please contact Larne Museum & Arts Centre on 028 28 262443 or e-mail marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk. 

Lots of lovely letter boxes (and tales of the early Irish Post Office)

A talk by Ian Enlander

Thursday 9th April 2026

7.00pm - 8.00pm

The talk will look at the development of the early post box in Ireland and Britain, including some examples from the wider Larne area. We will also look at the local postal service in the 18th and 19th centuries taking in tales of postage evasion, the Irish mail and espionage and calculating how much it cost to post a letter along the way.

This is a free event, however places are limited and should be booked in advance by contacting Larne Museum & Arts Centre on 028 28 262443 or e-mail marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.  

Birds of Prey

Saturday 25th April 2026, 12.00pm to 1.00pm

This is an opportunity to get close to a bird of prey during an educational talk and presentation by Ian Patterson from Flying Falcons.

This free event is suitable for the whole family. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note this is NOT a drop-in session. The presentation is one hour long beginning at 12.00pm. Booking not required.

Grave Stories: folklore and funerals, cemeteries and symbolism

A talk by Dr David Hume

Thursday 30th April 2026, 7.30pm – 9.00pm

This talk looks at the fascinating story of folklore and burial traditions - how cemeteries changed over the years, the symbolism of gravestones and some graves of note in the local area and beyond.

Based on a previously popular talk called Dead Famous, this talk goes beyond stories of individuals to explore the development of cemeteries and how landscaping became a focus in Victorian times, as well as the folklore and tradition which surrounded a death. Often the symbolism of gravestones is not apparent, but even the shape of the stone may be significant.

This is a free event, however places are limited and should be booked in advance by contacting Larne Museum & Arts Centre on 028 28 262443 or e-mail marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk. Light refreshments provided.