Local people helping to create lasting shirt factory legacy
16 July 2026
Members of the public are being encouraged to contribute to the legacy of the shirt factories of Derry and Strabane as the team at the Tower Museum build an important archive of objects and stories from the era.
Following a fantastic response to the historic shirt factory workbench displayed at this year's Foyle Maritime Festival, local people are now being asked to help preserve these memories for future generations.
Over the festival weekend, dozens of former factory workers, family members and visitors shared stories of working life in the shirt industry, from forgotten factories and workplace traditions to the skills, machinery and friendships that shaped generations of workers.
The memories gathered build on the work already underway through the National Archives funded project ‘Archives Revealed – Exploring the Shirt Factory Archives’. Archivists at the Tower Museum have already completed the cataloguing of the Shirt Factory Collection, containing photographs, business records, correspondence and personal material. The project has also recorded a series of oral histories with former shirt factory workers, preserving memories that do not appear in the official records. The catalogue will soon be available to browse online through The National Archives' Discovery platform, while the collection can already be consulted by appointment at the Tower Museum.
As part of the project, the team will host a Shirt Factory Memory Day at the Tower Museum on 4 September, inviting anyone with a connection to the industry to share memories, identify photographs, and view newly catalogued archive material and museum objects. A further event will take place in Strabane later in September, with details to be announced.
For over 150 years, shirt manufacturing shaped the economic and social life of Derry, Strabane and the wider North West, helping establish the area as a major industrial centre during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
While the archive preserves the records left behind by the industry, the project also aims to capture the stories behind those records. Through photographs, business records and personal material, the collection reveals the experiences of a predominantly female workforce, from early working lives to long careers and the strong community ties they formed. Alongside improving access to the archive through cataloguing, the project is delivering a programme of public engagement, including oral history recording, memory gathering sessions and opportunities for donations, ensuring local communities can play an active role in preserving and sharing this history.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Grace Uí Niallais, acknowledged the work that has already gone into the project. “Derry’s shirt factories played a defining role in the social and economic life of our city, and it’s vital that we continue to preserve and share that heritage,” she stressed.
“I’m delighted to see so many people keen to capture the lived experiences and memories of so many local people. This project ensures that future generations will have a deeper understanding of the industry and its lasting impact on our community.”
Assistant Archivist with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Lucy MacIver, said the response to the festival had demonstrated how much knowledge about the industry remains within local communities.
"The shirt factory workbench sparked dozens of conversations over the festival weekend, with people sharing memories that simply don't exist in the official records. The archive collection tells us an enormous amount about how the factories operated, but it is these personal stories that bring the records to life. The language people used, the routines they followed, the nicknames they gave places and machines, and the knowledge they carried from years on the factory floor are all part of our industrial heritage. As those memories become harder to capture, recording them has never been more important."
Anyone with stories, photographs, documents or objects relating to the shirt factories is encouraged to contact [email protected] or come along to one of the upcoming Memory Days.