Free Shirt Factory Memory Days event in Derry on September 4

Former shirt factory workers will have an opportunity to add their first-hand experiences to Derry’s museum record at a free community session. Shirt Factory Memory Days will take place at the Tower Museum on 4 September 2026, running from 1pm to 5pm.

The event is open to former workers and anyone with memories, photographs, documents or objects connected to the local shirt factory industry. It is a drop-in event, allowing visitors to attend during the four-hour session without a stated advance-booking process.

According to Derry City and Strabane Council, contributions made during the day will support the museum’s work to preserve the people, skills and working lives associated with an industry that supported generations of local families.

Memories, photographs and objects can all contribute

Visitors can record oral histories, help identify people or places shown in photographs, and provide information about documents and factory-related objects. The museum team also hopes the event will encourage further donations to its collections.

The invitation is not limited to people who worked at sewing machines. Former factory owners, other employees, relatives and residents holding relevant material or personal memories can also contribute. Existing interviews include recordings with former shirt factory machinists and a former factory owner.

People with objects or documents can use the session to discuss their material with the museum team. The source does not state that visitors must donate an item for its story or significance to be recorded.

Eight donated quilts have already expanded the collection

The memory day follows the completion of Stitched – the Shirt Factory Quilt Project at the Tower Museum. Supported by a Northern Ireland Museums Council Museum Collections Capital Grant, the project allowed staff to conserve, assess and document textiles associated with Derry’s shirt-making industry.

Volunteer quilters contributed specialist knowledge about designs, materials and textile traditions that had not previously been documented. The group was led by Margaret Lee of Shirt Tales NI, and its work helped the museum interpret the collection as well as care for the physical textiles.

The project has already led to the donation of eight additional quilts, together with archive material and objects connected to the factories. Museum Service Manager Margaret Edwards said the collaboration had “transformed our understanding of the shirt factory collections,” with volunteers and local donors supplying information that strengthens the archive.

A related initiative, Archives Revealed – Exploring the Shirt Factory Archive, has been gathering oral histories and conducting archival research. The resulting records are expected to inform the developing DNA Museum at Ebrington Square.

A second memory day will follow in Strabane

Another Shirt Factory Memory Days event is scheduled for Strabane Library later in September. The council source does not provide its exact date or opening hours, so prospective visitors will need to watch for a further announcement before planning that visit.

Both sessions are intended to connect surviving memories and privately held material with the museum collections. Identifying an unlabelled photograph or explaining how an object was used can supply information that may not exist in formal factory records.

Free drop-in entry at the Tower Museum

The confirmed Derry session is free and will run from 1pm until 5pm at the Tower Museum on 4 September. The published notice does not specify a street address, transport guidance or accessibility arrangements.

Anyone seeking more information or wishing to discuss a possible donation can contact the Museum Service or follow the Tower Museum’s social media channels for updates, including details of the later Strabane Library session.

Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News