Meet our History curators

Senior Curator of History

Contact Karen

Karen manages a team responsible for the History, Archaeology and World Cultures collections at the Ulster Museum and the Ulster Transport Museum at Cultra. She plays a leading role in the research, management and development of these collections and in supporting collections access and interpretation.

With a specialism in contemporary and community history, Karen curates the Modern History collection and led on the development of the Ulster Museum’s ‘Troubles and Beyond’ exhibition, which opened in March 2018.  Her focus is on the legacy of the past and community history in Northern Ireland. She has published on these themes and curated several temporary and touring exhibitions including Gay Life and Liberation; A Photographic Record from 1970s Belfast and Figures Through the Wire; Artwork by Geordie Morrow.

Senior Curator of History

Contact Victoria

Victoria manages a team responsible for the collections held at the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra and the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh. She plays a leading role in the research, management and development of these collections and in supporting collections access and interpretation.

With a particular interest in social history, Victoria has curated two temporary exhibitions at the Ulster American Folk Park, ‘Bad Bridget’ (2022-2026) and ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ (2026-), delivering a number of articles and conference papers on the former. She is also committed to increasing visitors’ understanding of and appreciation for the exhibit buildings at the Ulster Folk Museum, sharing her research in various ways, including the triannual ‘Homes in Focus’ talks series.

In the coming years, Victoria will play a key role in two major transformation projects – ‘Reawakening’ at the Ulster Folk Museum and ‘The Journey Ahead’ at the Ulster American Folk Park.

Curator of History

Contact Clare

Clare is the Curator of Transport and Industry at the Ulster Transport Museum. Her role involves looking after numerous collections that reflect the development and growth of local industries and modes of transport across the island of Ireland. This includes all road vehicles including cars, buses, commercial vehicles, horse-drawn vehicles and bicycles. The Transport Museum collection also includes aviation, maritime and rail vehicles.

She has curated several exhibitions at the Ulster Transport Museum including the Museum of Innovation, one of the most recent being Celtic Wave, an exhibition looking at the history of surfing in Ireland.

Curator of Archaeology

Contact Niamh

Niamh’s role covers the entire archaeological collections which span the time when people first arrived in Ireland (around 8000 BC) - up until the later Medieval period (around AD 1600).

The role includes the recording and identification of finds made by members of the public and dealing with ‘Treasure’ items in the Coroner’s court.

Curator of History

Contact Fiona

Fiona looks after the Irish domestic folk collections at the Ulster Folk Museum which includes the vernacular furniture, dresser and hearthware. The folk collection also has objects relating to traditional folk crafts, music, culture, tools and agriculture.

She also is invested in reassessing and revisiting our Folk Collections, as well as committed to curatorially improving the sites of the Ulster Folk Museum and building on the extensive oral history work conducted by previous folk curators. Fiona aspires to publish on the history and development of the Ulster Folk Museum.

Curator of Emigration

Contact Liam

Responsibility for the social history and migration history collections held at the Ulster American Folk Park.

Curator of Modern History

Contact Rebecca

Rebecca is a Curator of Modern History, working with the Ulster Museum collection and covering the period 1500-present day. 

She has co-curated several exhibitions including Faces and Places, showcasing images by French photographer Bernard Lesaing; A Collector’s Story: Tom Hartley; and most recently Drawing Support: Murals, Memory and Identity, which featured photographs by Bill Rolston. Rebecca is responsible for documenting the NI Prison Service collection and other large collections associated with the Troubles and Beyond initiative. 

Curator of Modern History

Contact Tríona

Tríona has curatorial responsibility for Modern History collection (1500 to the present day), World Cultures, as well as Numismatics and Philatelic collections. This role involves the research, management and development of these collections and supporting collections access and interpretation.

Specialising in co-curation projects, speak to Tríona about:

• Inclusive Global Histories programme and exhibition first developed in 2022, with refreshes in 2024 and 2026
• Life and Death in Ancient Egypt exhibition, refreshed in 2024
• Community research and engagement projects Global Voices, Local Choices (2022-24) as well as Bridges to China (2025-26) 
• Language and Identity projects including Voices of Ulster 

Curator of Textiles

Contact Valerie

Valerie has curatorial responsibility for the collection of dress, textiles and needlework at the Ulster Folk Museum. The collection dates from 1760 to present day and includes significant examples of fashionable and everyday historic dress, transport uniforms, embroidery, Irish lace, and patchwork quilts. She researches, manages and develops this collection to support the museum’s work in relation to collections access and interpretation.