Bernadette Walsh describes preparations during the week of 20 May 2013.

It was an exciting, if very stressful week, as I coordinated the final period of installation of objects and archives for the exhibition.  The exhibition includes a range of objects and archives from the Derry Heritage and Museum Service collection and from national collections in London, Limerick and Dublin.  It’s certainly not a traditional museum exhibition, with a variety of engaging activities and opportunities for all visitors alongside exhibition showcases.  Ever wanted to dress up as Cahir O’Doherty …. well now you can!

Staff from the London Metropolitan Archives and the National Archives Kew arrived in the city on Tuesday and installation began on Wednesday morning.  Anyone who has experience of installation will know how nervous it is not only for those travelling with rare and valuable objects but also for the loaning institute staff who are put to the test to ensure the showcases, environmental readings and general exhibition requirements can be met.  But all is well, despite some last minute hitches with stubborn archive drawers, additional mylar straps to ensure no movement of the archives, my colleagues from London worked patiently and diligently to ensure the archives were installed .… and look fantastic.

After reading and reviewing the Irish Society collection in the LMA and feeling like I know every line in those familiar early seventeenth century maps of the city it feels we achieved something significant as visitors to the exhibition will see them on display in the city where their journey began.

Next we have objects arriving from the Hunt Museum Limerick and from the National Museum of Ireland collection …… as well as a unique piece of textile art from artist Deborah Stockdale!