BELFAST needs a major new tourist attraction, according to the city’s Chamber of Trade and Commerce..
Speaking at the launch of its ‘Belfast Manifesto’, the chamber’s vision for the next 10 years, president Gordon McElroy suggested this should be a history museum – a view shared by DUP Lord Mayor Brian Kingston. The manifesto also has the backing of Sinn Féin finance minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.
So what should the museum contain?
“Something which shows that over 100 years ago Belfast was the world leader in several really important industries, how Belfast grew to become a large city,” McElroy said, adding that mention of the Troubles should be included “to show how the city has been resilient.”
There is no doubt the city centre needs a new draw to complement Titanic Belfast and offset the decline in retailing. The area around the Central Library, proposed by the Chamber of Trade and Commerce, seems ideal. However, the suggested content is back-to-front. This museum should be about the Troubles, with Belfast’s past mentioned only for context.
An ‘industrial history’ museum is certainly surplus to requirements. That story is covered by Titanic Belfast, not to mention the Ulster Museum and the Folk and Transport Museum. In any case, almost every city in the western world has a similar tale of economic development, differing only in the details of what was manufactured. Belfast’s rivets are not that riveting.
Our unique point of interest for most tourists is the Troubles – this is simply beyond question. A good museum on the subject would be as guaranteed of success as any such venture can be. The lack of one is glaring, indicating a deep discomfort with our recent past. But are we really so delicate? The Ulster Museum has a gallery of Troubles information panels and also puts on occasional displays of related art. The Linenhall Library has an exhibition of Troubles-era political posters, plus extensive historical records. None of this causes controversy. Would there be much objection to gathering it all in one place? The popularity of the Crumlin Road Gaol shows we can cope with issues as divisive as imprisonment. I believe a Troubles museum would be as popular with residents as with tourists.
One of the things a new museum could add to our scattering of information panels and art is a collection of artefacts. The ‘cabinet of curiosities’ approach to museum curation is currently unpopular but we have cause to ignore that fashion, as the Troubles had such a unique physical character – think of control zone barriers, gun-metal green city turnstile gates, suburban sangars, six-wheeled saracens, under-car mirrors, the world’s first bomb-disposal robots, all so distinctly 1970s.
I remember a primary six classmate bringing in a plastic bullet, shockingly large and heavy, that he had found in the street. I also remember, after almost 40 years, the police showing a selection of dummy incendiary devices to my parents, to warn them what to look out for in their shop. The ‘bombs’ were tiny and fiddly; one was in a cigarette packet. There are so many totemic objects like this, familiar from decades of headlines, yet most of us have never seen them – and time is running out to gather them.
The political problem of how to set up and manage a Troubles museum has already been solved by the scheme for a Maze ‘conflict transformation centre’. Politicians can establish a development body with an independent board, then retreat to a safe distance while architects and academics get on with it.
The Maze plan fell apart over unionist fears of a hunger strike focus but that is a special feature of the Maze site, exploited by the DUP’s unionist rivals during a particularly vulnerable period for former leader Peter Robinson. The approach itself remains sound and should work on a city centre canvas.
In fact, Stormont’s main objection to a Belfast Troubles museum is that it might conflict with the conflict transformation centre, which is still officially in the pipeline and would have a strong Troubles history element.
So perhaps Belfast City Council should take the project forward alone. Unionists might note the council has majority voting, so it can press on without them. As for how the bills should be paid, there is no need for public money. Given its likely appeal, the museum could aim for a profit and the council could take out a commercial loan.
Then we would really know we had moved on from the past.
newton@irishnews.com