Museum reopens almost a year after major fire

An outdoor museum has reopened almost a year after a fire destroyed several buildings at the heritage attraction in County Donegal.

Doagh Famine Village tells the story of an Irish family living through the famine era to the present day.

Gardaí (Irish police) and fire services attended the blaze at the site in Ballyliffin, on the Inishowen Peninsula, on 3 May last year. The fire was brought under control with the help of residents, and foul play was ruled out.

The museum was forced to close for more than 10 months and its owner, Pat Doherty, said a great deal of community support had gone into welcoming visitors back through the doors on St Patrick's Day.

Until 1984, Doherty lived with his family in one of the thatched dwellings, which is now on display, and he decided to make it a tourist attraction in 1997.

He said the museum was proudly family-owned and run, and that reopening would not have been possible without community support and a huge number of donations of historical items from homes and farms across the island of Ireland.

"More than half of the village was destroyed in the fire," Doherty told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today.

"People just kept donating and donating - we actually had to turn items away at one point because we simply had too many.

"The community has really rallied around us."

A replica of an Orange Hall and a safe house displaying information on the peace process were destroyed in the fire and had to be fully rebuilt.

Items relating to the Travelling community, including caravans, were also completely burned and had to be replaced.

Doherty said there was a point when he was unsure if the museum would ever reopen, adding that the fire came at a particularly difficult time.

"A couple of weeks before the fire, I was in hospital after having a stroke," he said.

"Then the fire happened, and at one point I thought that was it - that it would be the end of it but people really drove us on.

"We worked on it all through the summer. So many people supported us and ensured we could restore what we lost, while also adding new elements to the experience."

During a visit to the museum, visitors can learn about the peace process in Northern Ireland from various perspectives.

The process of making poitín - a strong, clear alcoholic spirit- is also demonstrated at the museum.

"I really do need to thank everyone from Derry to Donegal, to further afield, who all helped make this happen," Doherty added.