RARE personal artefacts from James Connolly's life have been added to his exhibition at Áras Uí Chonghaile.
Located on the Falls Road, Áras Uí Chonghaile is an award-winning visitor centre dedicated to telling the story of James Connolly’s life, work and ideas through immersive exhibitions, interactive experiences and a comprehensive historic collection.
The centre attracts visitors from around the world and offers a unique insight into Connolly’s legacy and the broader history of the Irish labour movement.
Among the new additions to the centre is a tie pin presented to James Connolly during his time in New Jersey in 1904, offering a tangible link to his years organising and advocating for workers’ rights in the United States.
Also included are two brooches belonging to Connolly’s wife, Lillie Connolly (née Reynolds), providing an intimate insight into the family life that underpinned his political and revolutionary activity.
Completing the new display is a pocket watch that once belonged to Jim Larkin, renowned trade union leader and co-founder – alongside Connolly – of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union and the Irish Citizen Army.
Jim Larkin's pocket watch
The newly acquired items are on loan from Belfast-based collector Pat O’Hagan, whose collection already forms a valued part of the centre’s offering with these items further enriching the story of one of Ireland’s most influential revolutionary leaders.
Eimear Hargey, Heritage Manager of Áras Uí Chonghaile, said: “These artefacts allow us to tell a deeper and more personal story of James Connolly and those closest to him.
"This is the first time we have had something that personally belonged to James Connolly, so it is quite significant.
"Items that belonged directly to Connolly himself carry a particular resonance, and we are extremely grateful to Pat O’Hagan for his continued generosity in sharing his collection with the public. Pat has been hugely supportive of the centre from the start."
The new artefacts are now on public display in Áras Uí Chonghaile and offer visitors a rare opportunity to engage directly with the personal history of James Connolly and his contemporaries.
