Local Antiques Roadshow type event in Ballinasloe

Do you have an old black and white photograph of workers or a local location, baton, uniform badge, household decoration, catalogue of the 1922 Ag Show, 1923 Mikado musical production or schools calendar from the Emergency? Any other antiques?

Would you be willing to have your item photographed and digitally archived as part of a local heritage project?

Then Gullane’s Hotel, Ballinasloe is the place to go on Monday, April 17 at at 8.30pm.

A small group of passionate and dedicated volunteers have been meeting since the new year to attempt to establish a new grouping focused on heritage and history in all its guises in the locality.

The ad-hoc group ran a small pop up Heritage Hub in Greene’s Store, Society St during St Patricks Day featuring a lot of lovely dated and mounted black and white photos of times past from the Gerry Devlin Archive, generating a lot of interest.

The group are keen to stress that the elements they wish this new project to embrace are our people, traditions, architecture, archaeology, fairs, music, sports, industry, crafts and art.

On the night in question the group is encouraging as many as possible to come but also, for those who may have some unseen black and white photos, artefacts, old books, souvenir programmes, equipment , uniforms, or household items associated with East Galway or South Roscommon, to bring them along for an Antiques Roadshow display.

Items will be recorded on the night with the owner and a small video clip made for broadcasting later.

A number of guest panellists have been invited to share their experiences of building a modern history group – relevant to the needs of a rapidly developing changing town and educational landscape.

It is hoped that the project will get as wide as possible support from the upsurge in local amenities, heritage, attractions, and publications that all emerged during the COVID lockdowns.