Just a reminder that we have music and dance here tomorrow at the Jackie Clarke Collection for Heritage Day 2025! DJ Pat Boyle, an old friend of the collection will be here all day with his Country Music Roadshow, keeping us all in the party mood! We also have two special dance exhibitions by the incredibly talented dancers from Atlantic Rhythm performing at 12.30pm and 3.45pm. So come down to the Jackie Clarke Collection, Wednesday 16th July 2025, for a very entertaining time, we open at 10am and entrance to the Collection and its award winning Walled Heritage Garden are free!

As part of Heritage Day 2025, we are delighted to announce the return of world renowned tobacconist and raconteur Edward Gaughan back to the Jackie Clarke Collection. Edward will be here with part of his collection of pipes and related artefacts, to meet and greet old friends and new, to talk about his life, his work and living in Ballina. Edward and the exhibition will be here from tomorrow, Wednesday 16th July 2025 and for the rest of this week, so why not pop in, take a look at some of his amazing collection and have a chat about bygone days, its sure to be great craic! #ballinasalmonfestival

The children enjoying a yoga session in the Jackie Clarke Walled Heritage garden as part of the Ballina Salmon Festival 2025! #ballinasalmonfestival #marieloftusyoga

We are delighted to announce thanks to the very generous sponsorship of the Mount Falcon Estate and the Maloney Family, everyone’s favourite on Heritage Day the “Birds of Prey will be back here at the Jackie Clarke Collection’s Walled Heritage Garden. The expert team of Falconers and their stunning birds of prey will make a very welcome return on Wednesday 16th of July 2025, from 2pm. Entrance is free and everyone is welcome, so we look forward to seeing you all there! Once again huge thanks to @Mount Falcon for their generosity in sponsoring this very popular event! **Please be advised this event is being photographed/filmed and all children must be accompanied by an adult** #mountfalconestate #birdsofprey

The Jackie Clarke Collection presents its second article celebrating the lives and achievements of the lesser known women in our great nation’s history, today we are looking at the life of worker’s rights activist and veteran of the 1916 Rising, Rosie Hackett. Rosanna “Rosie” Hackett was born in Dublin on 25th July 1892, to a poor working class family. After her Father died, Rosie’s mother remarried and the family lived in a small dwelling in Abbey Street, Dublin. Sent out to work from a young age, at the age of 18 Rosie was working as a messenger for Jacob’s Biscuits. The working conditions for the factory workers were said to be appalling, so when the male workers decided to take industrial action in protest, Rosie galvanised the women in the workforce to join them. The action was successful, leading to an increase in pay and better working conditions. One of Rosie Hackett's most notable contributions was her involvement in the 1913 Dublin Lockout, a major industrial dispute that saw thousands of workers go on strike for better pay and working conditions. Rosie, a staunch supporter of workers' rights, played a key role in organizing and mobilizing the striking workers. In 1914, Rosie was sacked by Jacob’s for her role in the Dublin Lockout; undeterred Rosie initially took a job as a clerk for the IWWU before training as a printer. During this time she became involved with the Irish Citizen’s Army, she was in Liberty Hall for the printing of the 1916 Proclamation, later relating that when she had passed the Proclamation to James Connolly it had still been “dripping wet”. Rosie was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol for her part in the rising, but released soon after. Rosie continued in her work for the IWWU championing the rights of women workers. Rosie dedicated her life to the causes close to her heart, spending 60 years dedicated to the trade union movement, to improve the pay and conditions of her fellow workers. Rosie Hackett's contributions to Irish history have not gone unnoticed. In 2014, a bridge in Dublin was officially named in her honour. This landmark serves as a reminder of Rosie's unwavering commitment to social justice and equality.