Opened in 2019 to great fanfare by President Michael D Higgins, Áras Uí Chonghaile, the James Connolly Visitor Centre on the Falls Road, has become a star attraction in the Belfast tourist scene.
The centre highlights the works, life and achievements of the revolutionary hero who lived on the Falls Road in the years leading up to the Easter Rising.
As well as welcoming visitors, Áras Uí Chonghaile also runs external activities such as the James Connolly Heritage Trail – an interactive walking tour where you can download an app to experience Belfast’s political, industrial, feminist and working class history from the turn of the last century.
At the end of a year which saw the centre crowned ‘Best Visitor Attraction on the Translink Route’ at the Best of the West Awards, we spoke with Clíodhna Ni Bhranair, Áras Uí Chongaile’s Development Officer.
How has the Covid pandemic affected the running of Áras Uí Chonghaile, and what ways if any have you had to adapt or change in your working life?
Around six months after Covid hit and Áras Uí Chonghaile closed, we moved to a completely ‘virtual’ presence with all our events taking place online. This was a great success and allowed us to engage with audiences across the world. Since then, as restrictions have eased, we have maintained an element of ‘virtual’ within our ‘in person’ events – although we’re delighted to welcome the world back to Áras Uí Chonghaile!
What was a memorable event from 2021, and are there any members of the local community who would be your hero for 2021?
James Connolly will forever be the hero for us at Áras Uí Chonghaile and a key highlight for us in '21 was relocating the James Connolly statue from Falls Community Council building to take up pride of place at the front of the centre where he stands proudly today. The relocation coincided with second anniversary of our opening.
What are the hopes and plans for 2022 and do you have any exhibitions, or events planned that you'd like to tell us about?
We are in the process of planning our next programme of events which will cover a broad range of historical and contemporary topics. We’re hoping to bring a few new events to the programme too which should be an exciting – watch this space!
What is your opinion regarding the teaching of history in the North, do you think the Department of Education could do more to teach young people about their history and about important historical figures like James Connolly?
We aim to tell the life story of James Connolly here in Áras Uí Chonghaile, from the impact of his time in Belfast, to his trade union work across North America and his role in the Easter Rising. We love to hear of more people learning about his work and have had a number of schools visit the Centre and enjoy the tour since we opened. We’re looking forward to welcoming even more in the New Year. From a visitor centre perspective, we would like to see the Department encourage more schools to take in trips that align to the curriculum and, from our perspective, grow school visits to Áras.
Do you think the pandemic, and how it has highlighted the inequality in our society has led to a surge in interest in socialist/trade union figures such as James Connolly and Jim Larkin?
The Covid pandemic has certainly highlighted many of the inequalities in our society. It’s significant for us that so much of what Connolly said and wrote over a century ago about rights and equality is relevant even today and we have showcased this through many of our talks, including our discussion with Pat Cullen, Director of the Royal College of Nursing in the North.
During this period, people have had time to reflect on what is important in life, people reconnected with community and the environment. I think the politics of Connolly has loomed large during the past few years especially as his writings continue to inspire and, in times of great upheaval and uncertainty, his writing and views continue to be validated.
How did it feel to win the Best in the West Award this year?
We were over the moon to win a Best of the West Award this year. It’s always lovely to be recognised by the local community who have supported us since we opened in 2019.
There will be a new Assembly election in May 2022 – what issues would you like to see take priority in the new Executive?
For us in Áras, we would like to see a real focus on the advancement of workers’ rights, a significant uplift in salaries for frontline health workers who absolutely deserve it and a balanced approach to rebuilding the economy that puts ordinary working people first.
Are there any interesting stories or facts about James Connolly that aren’t that well known?
Many people think that Connolly was born here in Ireland. However, he was actually born in Cowgate, Edinburgh in Scotland, an area known then as ‘Little Ireland’.
