About Us

Craigavon Museum Services, Waterside House
Craigavon Museum Services is based at Waterside House, Oxford Island. The Museum Service records, interprets and displays the local history of the Craigavon area through exhibitions, events and tours. The Museum Service holds two unique Christian Heritage book collections and these are made accessible through the Philip B. Wilson local history library.

The Philip B. Wilson Local History Library

The Philip B. Wilson Local History Library is now located within the Museum Services building at Waterside House and was officially opened in 1998. It is named in honour of a past museum curator and historian in recognition of his contribution to local history in the Craigavon area. Today the library contains almost 6,000 local history reference books on a range of topics although the main focus is on the history and development of the Craigavon area.

Quaker Book Collection

This is recognised as one of the most extensive libraries of Quaker books in Ireland and records the history of the Religious Society of Friends from their earliest beginnings. It is made up of over 700 separate volumes of tracts, obituaries, biographies, journals, periodicals and travels in ministry and reflects the long association with the area since their first meeting in Ireland took place in Lurgan back in 1654. This collection is not just useful to those interested in the Religious Society of Friends, but can be used to study family history, social issues, business practice, politics, town and village development and travel during the last three and a half centuries.

Methodist Book Collection

More recently a collection of Methodist books dating from the middle of the eighteenth century has been acquired by the library. They cover the rise and development of the Methodist Church in Britain and Ireland with a particular focus on local congregational histories, theology, doctrine, music and song. The 1,500 books and pamphlets also contain a number of original works from a comprehensive list of important Methodist writers.
Methodism was ‘born in song’ and with many rare editions of poems, hymns and music included alongside the works, writings and sermons of John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) the collection helps provide a useful insight into the social history and thinking of this period.

Contact details
For further information about the library, please contact the museum service.
Craigavon Museum Services
Waterside House
Oxford Island
Annaloiste Road
Craigavon
Co. Armagh
BT66 6NJ

028 38 341 635
museum@craigavon.gov.uk

The Philip B. Wilson Library is open Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 2-4pm.
For details of Saturday opening, please contact the museum.

Directions: Take Junction 10 from M1 and follow signs for Oxford Island