North Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA and UUP Culture Arts and Leisure spokesman Robin Swann has called on National Museums Northern Ireland to play their full part in ensuring that the community have easy access to information about the issues arising during this decade on centennaries.
"With the decade of centennaries now underway it is clear that there is a thirst amongst the community for knowledge about not only the events of significance in the 1912 -1922 period but also a desire to learn more about the social history of the time. The Titanic centennary showed the interest was as much about the men who buit the ship and the conditions they lived and worked in as those who sailed on that fateful voyage.
The National Museums Northern Ireland are in a position to present a wealth of information to a wide audience over the next ten years. It is important that the social history is woven into the commemorations of events to ensure that people today undertsand the context within which decisions were taken.
With museums such as the Ulster Museum being free to access, their ability to ensure an unfettered, balanced account of history will play an important part in ensuring that all those who wish to learn that history have the ability to do so irrespective of religion, class, creed or finances."
ENDS