Lead The Way Tour - Carrickfergus

03/04/2025

A fantastic experience today, working in collaboration with Carrickfergus Museum to deliver a Second World War themed walking tour to complement the presentation and display of exhibits in the museum.

Almost 60 boys and girls from Greystone and St. Joseph's Primary Schools who travelled from Antrim, many dressed as Evacuees!

So many amazing questions and comments from the Year 4 pupils. Kept me on my toes!

Thanks, too, for the patience of pedestrians and road users as we meandered around the town.

01/04/2025

Edward V Loustalot. An original US Ranger, activated in Carrickfergus in June 1942. Killed in action at Dieppe on 19 August the same year. First American soldier to lose his life on the European mainland in the Second World War. Remembered and respected in Dieppe to this day.

Us Rangers Edward V.Loustalot
We’ll never Forget
Loustalot commémoration in Arudy - Pyrénées Mountains

31/03/2025

On the first day of April 1944, the Littlewoods (Barn Mills) factory in Carrickfergus was tasked with designing a deception para-dummy to lure German troops away from the beaches of Normandy on Operation Overlord (D-Day).

This early prototype was submitted, and although it was agreed that the silhouette, from a distance, would indeed attract attention, it was eventually decided to ditch this version and run with something which presented more of a threat.

A photo of the final type of paradummy used on D-Day is shown in the comments.

28/03/2025

Dates for your diary!

Commemoration events in France for the first American soldier to be killed in Action in the European mainland in the Second World War.

One of the original US Rangers, activated in Carrickfergus just two months before his death.

21/03/2025

Something a bit different, and a conversation starter.

"What does Rumbeke mean, and what's the connection with Carrickfergus?"

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the new Belgian Army. 3rd (Rumbeke) Infantry Brigade formed in 1945, undergoing training in Northern Ireland. D...

24/02/2025

A Rangers Journey - Historical Talk
Andrew Jackson Cottage & US Rangers Museum
13 March 2025
7pm – 9pm

Join Adrian Hack from Lead the Way tours at Andrew Jackson Cottage for the fifth part of our historical talks programme. The 1st Battalion US Rangers was activated in Carrickfergus on 19 June 1942. Exactly two months later, some of them became the first US troops to see active service on mainland Europe.

This talk will share the story of one of those Rangers, a Corporal who made military history.

Booking is essential as places are limited, light refreshments will be served.

20/02/2025

🛳 𝐌𝐢𝐝 & 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 - 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 🚗
Tourism clusters were set up as part of TNI cluster development programmes in 2015. With funding through Invest NI’s Collaborative Growth Programme, CEO of Carrickfergus Enterprise, Kelli McRoberts secured the facilitator role. She assisted over 140 tourism providers across three council areas scope out how best to encourage a wider tourism market to the area and enhance its popularity as a visitor destination. Working with them to Identify possible collaboration opportunities as well as looking at best practice in other destinations in Ireland and UK mainland. Due to several circumstances the cluster has not been able to meet, yet connecting and networking is even more crucial today.
Today Tourism is bouncing back! Do you want to be part of this journey?
This event has been adapted following two successful Go Succeed Tourism PSN meet ups hosted in Carrickfergus and Ballymena, which you may have attended.
Kelli McRoberts will host this networking event to allow attendees to tell us what they need and the challenges they face. We want to gain feedback to the possibility of restarting the tourism cluster in Mid and East Antrim to take advantage of the ‘slow tourism’ appeal of the Causeway Coastal Route. Encouraging local businesses to develop a range of itineraries to entice visitors to the area, increasing their dwell time and spend. Collaboration will be key to showcase the many hidden gems the area has to offer. We will also hear from a Northern Ireland tourism cluster who have achieved success and learn from their experience. Representatives from Mid and East Antrim Council and Tourism Northern Ireland will also share how they can support you to start, grow and develop your tourism business.
Registration instructions: This event is free for individuals. Please note, your email confirmation and eTicket will come from [email protected], please add this to your list of trusted accounts to prevent information landing in your junk folder.
You will not want to miss this, register here https://tourismnetwork.glistrr.com/e/721
Please note as this is an in-person event, the registration numbers for this are restricted.
𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘴𝘵 𝘎𝘰 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘕𝘐, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘮 𝘉𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢.

18/02/2025

Make do and Mend workshop!

If you've been on my Tour, you'll know I briefly cover this as part of the Clothing rationing introduced during the Second World War. This will give a much more practical insight. I might pop along to observe.

Booking essential for the workshop.

🧶🧵 Make and Mend Workshop 🧵🧶

📌US Rangers Museum, Carrickfergus
📆 22 March 2025
🕔 12noon – 2pm

Join us this March when our resident crafter Mary will demonstrate and teach some mending skills handed down through the generations, which were essential for making clothing last through the war.

No crafting experience necessary, light refreshments provided.

💷 Cost £5 per person

👉🏻 Pre-booked and pre-paid essential to guarantee place!

☎ To secure you place please contact: Carrickfergus Castle Visitor Information Centre on T: 028 9335 8262 or E: [email protected]

03/02/2025

This looks interesting.....

Flare Path: a line of little points of light on the ground used to guide pilots during take-off and landing.

Terence Rattigan drew on his own experiences as an air gunner in the RAF to write his play Flare Path in 1941.

When this story of 3 couples, set against the backdrop of wartime uncertainty, opened in London in August 1942, it became an immediate box-office success.

Flare Path paints an evocative portrait of life in wartime Britain and the battle between individual desire and collective duty.

Don’t miss it!

See below for ticket details or contact [email protected] to join our mailing list.

01/02/2025

This presentation on WW2TV - Paul Woodadge opens your eyes to British Tank evolution from mid 1930s to the end of the Second World War. Not all about biggest gun, thickest armour or most powerful engine. Absolutely fascinating!

Understanding British Tank DevelopmentWith P.M KnightPart of our Tanks and Armoured Vehicles serieshttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDG3XyxGI5lAAxI1dtlL7TK...

29/01/2025

Well worth reading....

An accredited museum in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter telling the story of Northern Ireland's role in WW2, the Belfast Blitz in 1941 and the American…

22/01/2025

Beautiful and poignant.....

As part of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust's ‘80 Candles for 80 Years' project, NIWM asked Belfast-based artist Leanne McClean to create a candleholder dedicated to the memory of Helen Lewis MBE, teacher, choreographer, and innovator of modern dance in Northern Ireland.

A survivor of the Holocaust, Helen described leaving Auschwitz as ‘the gift hope’. She believed dance ‘has a special power of drawing people together’.

The candle sculpture makes solid that sense of the weight of history and the hope of a dancer who was not defined by it.

The candle will be lit on 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and to commemorate Helen’s life and all those affected by the Holocaust.

21/01/2025

Some excellent Second World War photos shared by this page.

21/01/2025

Exciting news! We’re hosting an information session at the iconic WWII Trainer Dome, and you’re invited! This is your chance to learn all about the proposed conservation works planned for this historic site and share your thoughts on how the space could be used in the future. Full details below 👇👇👇

This project is generously supported by National Lottery Players via The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland