The family of John and Pat Hume distance themselves from the new “Peacemakers Museum” in Derry…

News from Derry that the family of the late and legendary John and Pat Hume have distanced themselves from the new “Peacemakers Museum” which has opened in the city.

According to Seamus McKinney at the ‘Irish News‘

“The family claim the new museum lacks inclusivity and have also complained that of the three politicians at the centre of the project, including their father, two were members of Sinn Féin. The museum, which opened at the Gasyard Centre is centred on Mr Hume, former deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness and former Stormont Assembly speaker, Mitchel McLaughlin…”

McKinney further goes on to report “In their statement the family said: “Pat Hume stated in an email to the Gasyard Trust on 14 April 2020 that: ‘..I return to the fundamental concept. If John were well, he would invite you to change from a focus on three politicians, two of whom represent one view’.”

The Peacemakers Museum – a new community heritage museum has opened at the Gasyard Centre charting the journey from conflict in Derry’s Bogside from 1972 to 2007.
Find out more: https://t.co/YWApVOBy8G#HeritageIsOpen @peacemkrsderry pic.twitter.com/Awr1R12Oaw

— The National Lottery Heritage Fund NI (@HeritageFundNI) July 22, 2024

So on the face of things is this a case of a new project being hijacked by those keen to push the Republican narrative of the Troubles with John Hume being included as an almost sanitising gesture to make that narrative more palatable?

Possible, but the Museum itself would disagree. In response to the Hume family’s statement Seamus McKinney quotes Gasyard Centre manager, Linda McKinney who…

“…said that the museum focused on the experience of Bogside residents in the Troubles as well as the involvement of local women.

“The families of John Hume and Martin McGuinness were invited to sit on the (content steering) group alongside Mitchel McLaughlin,” she said.

“We have maintained an open-door policy from the onset of this project and this will not change going forward. We would be delighted if the Hume family wanted to take part in the museum,” she said.

Ms McKinney said the trust would also welcome input from SDLP representatives who witnessed or played a role in the development of the peace process.”

This seems to suggest that the museum isn’t so much omitting a wide perspective of views simply to peddle a Republican narrative as deliberately keeping the focus on the experience of the Bogside, which, of course, would then inevitably be Nationalist and Republican.

A philosophical question therefore emerges. Is a Museum obligated to give as wide a view on possible on historic events, or can a museum be justified in narrowing it’s perspective so as to communicate that perspective more effectively?

That one is above my paygrade though.