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All the United Kingdom Northern Ireland Belfast Northern Ireland Police Museum

Northern Ireland Police Museum

This hidden museum examines the complex history of the country's law enforcement.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Added By
James T. Bartlett
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Uniforms and gear.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
  jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Bulletproof clipboard and historical riot shield.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
They were renamed the PSNI in 2001, but history didn’t stop…   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Uniforms and gear.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Items on display.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Items on display.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This little-publicized museum was set up in the 1980s to explain and illustrate Northern Ireland’s unique, challenging, and often contentious policing history. The small-but-interesting collection includes uniforms, medals, posters, and archives from the early 1800s to the present day, and over 1,000 visitors per year venture to the museum. Inside, you'll spot eye-catching items like bullet-proof clipboards, riot shields, grenades, and improvised car bombs that were used by and against officers over the decades.

The low-key building itself is in a former sergeant's married quarters, and on your visit, you will be personally shown around by one of the two curators, a process that takes about 40 minutes.

The staff can also be helpful with genealogical research regarding former incarnations as the Royal Irish Constabulary and early Royal Ulster Constabulary, and they also have some police records from the 1830s onwards.

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Having a curatorial escort can be a little disconcerting, but they are helpful and keen to talk. The museum's opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Booking in advance is advisable and you will need ID when you arrive.

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jbartlett2000

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September 3, 2019

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Northern Ireland Police Museum
65 Knock Rd
Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT5 6LE
United Kingdom
54.587587, -5.857567
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