The Northern Ireland War Memorial will be closed on Monday 29 May for the Bank Holiday. We will reopen on Tuesday 30 May at 10am.

News

/

News

Saving Sheila the Elephant

On Saturday 22 April 2023, the Northern Ireland War Memorial marked Earth Day with the opening of a new exhibition, Saving Sheila the Elephant; a collection of artworks created by primary school children in Belfast who have participated in a project funded by The Wild Escape and supported by the Northern Ireland Museums Council.

The project focused on the story of Sheila the Elephant and the kindness she was shown during the air raids of the Second World War. The artworks, each truly unique and colourful, imagine Sheila in a future habitat rich in biodiversity.

The exhibition was opened by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Michelle Kelly, and was attended by Mrs Sheila Hughes (née Morrison), who met the elephant and inspired her name when she arrived at Belfast Zoo in 1937.

Photographed here is Shelia Hughes meeting the school children who participated in the project. The children presented Sheila with a gift and talked to her about their artworks. Sheila spoke about meeting the elephant and her experience as an evacuee travelling with a circus. She also described her part in wartime performances at the Empire Theatre (which her father Gerry Morrison managed), and meeting James Magennis VC in 1945.

The exhibition is available to view online via our YouTube channel: Saving Sheila the Elephant at the NIWM - The Wild Escape.

You May Also Like

Card image cap
Mapping the Blitz

Find out more about our Mapping the Blitz project in partnership with Queens University Belfast.

Card image cap
The American Red Cross in Northern Ireland during the Second World War

To coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Belfast American Red Cross club’s official dedication in October 1942, the Northern Ireland War Memorial will launch a new book, The American Red Cross in Northern Ireland during the Second World War by historian Clive Moore.

Card image cap
US80 - Flag Donation

In advance of US80, we were pleased to accept the timely donation in December 2021 of a large American flag that was flown from the American Red Cross Club on Chichester Street, Belfast.

Card image cap
Ulster University's Museums, Crisis and Covid-19 Project

Ulster University's Museums, Crisis and Covid-19 project has recently published its final reports with input from the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum.

Card image cap
New Acquisition

The NI War Memorial is very pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Bombs Falling on Belfast, April 16th 1941 by local artist William Conor.

Card image cap
Kids in Museums Takeover Day 2022

We're being taken over!

We're excited to be taking part in Kids in Museums annual Takeover Day 2022.

Read on to find out more

Card image cap
Arts Council NI Grant

We are delighted to announce that the NIWM has been awarded a grant from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Arts & Older People Programme.

Read on to find out more

Card image cap
NIWM on C2K Newsdesk

Watch our programme all about rationing during the Second World War with C2K Newsdesk.

Card image cap
New Acquisition - Firemen, After the Blitz, Belfast

The NI War Memorial is very pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Firemen, After the Blitz, Belfast by local artist William Conor.

Card image cap
Belfast Blitz Commemorations 2023

In April and May 2023, the Northern Ireland War Memorial marked the anniversaries of the air raids on Northern Ireland with three commemorations. Members of the public were invited to attend to pay their respects and to remember those who were killed as a result of enemy action in April and May 1941.

Subscribe To Our Mailing List For Updates