Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has been awarded £2.1 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore, extend and refurbish Ballycastle Museum.

The grant will expand gallery space from 64 square metres to 240 square metres, adding a dedicated area for rotating temporary exhibitions, a workshop and a learning space. The project also includes making the museum fully accessible and providing year-round access to its collections.

The museum is housed in an 18th-century, Grade B+ listed building that originally served as a courthouse and market house on Castle Street. Planned new interpretation will cover the area’s archaeology and early history, the creation of the 18th-century industrial town, the Arts and Crafts Revival, Ballycastle’s maritime heritage, and more recent social history.

Construction is expected to take two and a half years, subject to planning approval and council permissions. The redeveloped museum is scheduled to reopen in late 2028. The delivery phase follows a development phase supported by a £202,981 grant in 2023, which allowed detailed plans to be drawn up.

Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Alderman Sandra Hunter, stated that the work would help revitalise Castle Street and draw more visitors into the historic heart of Ballycastle. She noted that staff, funding unit officers and volunteers from the Friends of Ballycastle Museum had worked throughout the development phase to design a conservation-led project.

The council will also deliver an enhanced community engagement programme alongside the construction, working with schools, community groups and volunteers. Accredited training programmes and additional volunteer opportunities will be introduced.