Mid and East Antrim Museums have ‘special events’ planned for the holidays

A report presented at a meeting of the borough council’s development committee shows that just 31 visitors visited the Larne Museum and Arts Center on those days out of 1,388 so far this year overall.

Eighty-six visitors turned up at the Carrickfergus Museum and Guard Rooms Ensign House on holidays and public holidays with a total of 6,660 this year.

Andrew Jackson’s Cottage and the US Ranger Center at Boneybefore outside Carrickfergus had 74 visitors on public and bank holidays and 2026 this year.

Arthur Cottage in Cullyback, which re-opened on August 1, had five holiday visitors on August 29.

Councilors said it costs £243 per site to open these attractions over bank holidays. On the day of the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, none were opened.

Officers are considering holding “specialised events” at these locations on bank holidays to boost footfall and close doors early on some weekdays.

Meanwhile, the report talks about tourist attractions in Mid and East Antrim “showed themselves strongly” in recent months. The Gobbins at Islandmagee will be closed for maintenance in January and February.

“While the recovery from the Covid pandemic is still ongoing, attendance, ticket sales and retail sales have all been positive.

“However, museums in the area, like regional museums across Northern Ireland, are taking longer to recover with attendance compared to 2019,” the report said.

Michelle Weir, reporter for the Local Democracy