UNTOLD: The Museum
March 5, 2025Creation of New Museum to Explore All-Island Heritage of the Irish in the British Army
UNTOLD: The Museum has today unveiled ambitious plans to create a state-of-the-art museum across two sites in Belfast and Enniskillen. This £13.6 million project will bring to life the previously untold 350-year history of Irish soldiers and their families in the British Army. The Belfast galleries are set to open in the summer of 2027, offering visitors a unique and immersive experience.
During the 19th century, around 40 percent of the British army comprised soldiers from across the island of Ireland. Nowhere was the Irish influence in the British military more evident than at the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon Bonaparte famously described the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot as “the most obstinate mules I ever saw.” The victorious Duke of Wellington likewise praised Corporal James Graham of County Monaghan – one of the 7,000 Irish
troops who fought in the battle – as “the bravest man at Waterloo.”
Exactly 103 years later, on 23 November 1918, Irish soldiers once again took to the field at Waterloo. The 2nd Leinsters became the first British Army Regiment to march across the historic battlefield since Napoleon’s defeat in 1815.
Recent development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will support the planning phase of this exciting initiative, helping to recognise, explore and preserve the shared heritage of more than three centuries of Irish men and women from all traditions.
UNTOLD, Stories of the Irish in the British Army will be a permanent visitor attraction, incorporating the collections and archives of the existing regimental museums with modern, objective interpretative design. It will tell the story of the Irish soldier in the British Army while connecting with contemporary social and political histories and
communities, serving as an educational resource for schools and colleges across Ireland.
UNTOLD will open a single museum on two sites, with Phase One creating new galleries in the beautifully restored, listed linen warehouse at 28 Bedford Street, Belfast. Phase Two will focus on redeveloping the existing galleries at Enniskillen Castle.
The Heritage Fund has awarded initial development funding of £249,239 to help UNTOLD: The Museum progress its plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £1,721,595 at a later date. This shared heritage, currently housed across six individual collections, will be consolidated as part of the project. It spans the past five centuries and is characterised by its all-island, all-community nature.
The unique collections to be consolidated as part of the project are; The Inniskillings Museum, The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, The Royal Ulster Rifles Museum, The Royal Irish Regiment Museum, The Collections and Archives of The Royal Irish Regiment, and The Collections and Archives of The North Irish Horse. Southern disbanded regiments will also be included in the story.
Announcing the Heritage Fund support, Hugh Crossey, chair of UNTOLD: The Museum said: “UNTOLD Stories of the Irish in the British Army will hopefully inspire people to see things differently and make meaningful connections across generations.
“Thanks to National Lottery players we can now begin to develop plans for Phase One – to reimagine No. 28 Bedford Street as an inclusive space for exploration and discovery.
“Education will be at the heart of all the exhibitions, offering our visitors the chance to explore the lives of the Irish men and women who rose above divisions of class, politics and religion and overcame extremes of hardship to make an indelible mark on our history. In sharing these stories, UNTOLD seeks to contribute to ongoing peace and reconciliation across the island.
“We are already surprised at the number of people from a range of traditions who have discovered ancestorial and family histories amongst Irish regiments in the British army. When fully completed I would encourage everyone to visit this new immersive exhibition and learn more about our – and potentially their – shared heritage.”
The collection goes beyond medals and uniforms, offering valuable insights into social developments across Ireland. Access to this rich resource will be enhanced not only at the Belfast and Enniskillen galleries but also through a new online platform, broadening its reach and impact.
Dr Paul Mullan, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Northern Ireland Director said:
“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we’re able to award UNTOLD: The Museum Ltd with a development grant to secure their collections and help put in place plans for a new museum that would bring back into use an exceptional heritage building in Belfast’s Linen Quarter.
We wish the team every success in this development phase and encourage people to get involved in consultation activities that will shape plans to reflect on the diverse stories from four hundred years of military history in an inclusive and accessible space.”
UNTOLD has been established with organisational sustainability at its core and is committed to maintaining the built heritage it occupies. In Belfast, the new galleries will be established at No.28 Bedford Street. Built in 1867, this eye-catching red brick warehouse was one of local Irish architect William Barre’s final designs and will open fully to the public for the first time in its history.
Existing galleries will be redeveloped at the striking Enniskillen Castle, and all future design work will address the environmental impact of museum displays and the long-term conservation of collections and facilities.
UNTOLD will be running community and education workshops during 2025. If you or your group would like to get involved, please visit our website and social media for updates or get in touch with us at project-manager@royal-irish.com.
UNTOLD would also like to thank the Architectural Heritage Fund for their support to the project and their grant of £10,000 to help with the conservation work to preserve 28 Bedford Street.
For further information please contact Dr Laura Patrick at UNTOLD: The Museum Ltd at project-manager@royal-irish.com