Dr Ciaran Toal

Researcher, curator, and collections manager, Northern Ireland.

What I do

I'm a researcher, collections manager and curator in Northern Ireland.I have dedicated 11+ years to exploring the history of Lisburn, the Lagan Valley and the Irish linen industry.I'm interested in local heritage and how we tell stories about it.

Curating exhibition, displays and heritage interpretation

Whether you're producing a walking trail, guide book, booklet, exhibition or interpretative panels, engaging visitors with heritage requires skill and expertise. I have experience in different interpretative mediums, including:

  • Heritage trails: self-guided walking tours and maps

  • Exhibitions: in a gallery space, or outside.

  • Guides: from war memorials, to monuments

  • Interpretative panels: do you want to tell a story about a building or object?

  • Online exhibitions: advice on copy, analytics and best practice.

  • 3D Scanning and AR in a heritage setting

Researching local history

Is there a local history that needs told? Do you want to find out more about your family, the history of a business or building?I have 11+ years of experience providing professional research services to museums, public institutions, local government and individuals. I have expertise researching historic buildings and their stories; researching families and objects; business histories, and exploring local resources and archives in Northern Ireland.

Talks

I regulalry speak with historical societies, tour groups, youth groups and schools.

Publications

My focus is on exhibition, collections management and museum work. I often publish my research, and can find a selected bibliography below:

  • Toal, C. A COVID Dance of Hokey-Cokey: keeping Lisburn Museum's service relevant in a time of Crisis, Museum Ireland, 2021. Peer Reviewed.

  • Toal, C. Hillsborough and its Royal Associations, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, 2021

  • Toal, C. Gregory and the Swanzy Riots, History Ireland September (5), (2020).

  • Toal, C. ‘The Tricolour That Flew Over the GPO’, Ulster Star, April 28th 2016.

  • Toal, C. ‘The Brutes’; Mrs Metge and the Lisburn Cathedral Bomb, 1914, History Ireland Nov (1), (2014).

  • Toal, C. ‘Protestants, Catholics and Masonic Conspiracies: the British Association in Montreal’, Isis 107 (1), (2016). Peer Reviewed.

  • Toal, C. ‘Catholics, Science and Repeal Agitation in Cork (1843)’, Irish Geography 47 (1), (2015). Peer Reviewed.

  • Toal, C. ‘Science, Religion and the Geography of Speech at the British Association: William Henry Dallinger (1839-1909) Under the Microscope,’ Endeavour 37(2), (2013), pp. 64-70. Peer Reviewed.

  • Toal, C. ‘Preaching at the British Association for the Advancement of Science: sermons, secularisation and the rhetoric of conflict in the 1870s,’ British Journal for the History of Science 45, (2012), pp. 75-95. Peer Reviewed.

  • Toal, C. 2012. ‘Valentia Island, Ireland, British Society for the History of Science Travel Guide, available at http://www.bshs.org.uk/travel-guide/valentia-island-ireland-telegraph-cable, Posted on 9th October 2012.

  • Toal, C. 2011. ‘The Ulster Hall, Belfast’, British Society for the History of Science Travel Guide, available at http://www.bshs.org.uk/travel-guide/the-ulster-hall-belfast, Posted on Thursday 30th June 2011.

  • Toal, C. 2010. ‘What a (t)wit!: Swift, Stella and the phrenologists.’ Pue’s Occurrences: the Irish History Blog, available at http://puesoccurrences.wordpress.com/, Posted on Wednesday 3rd February 2010.

  • Toal, C. 2009. ‘How science and faith grew up together.’ Guardian: comment is free, available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/apr/24/religion-science-creationism-reiss, Posted on Sunday 26th April 2009.

© Dr Ciaran Toal