A temporary exhibition celebrating the city’s sporting legends has launched in Derry’s Tower Museum.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Alderman Graham Warke, paid a visit to the Tower Museum to launch the display.

It opened on Sporting Heritage Day and includes a range of items telling the stories of some greats across the region.

It is part of a project supported by the Sporting Heritage Funding and after going on display in the museum it will become a travelling exhibition which can be loaned out to local community and voluntary groups.

Sports Of Our Time will be available to view at the Tower Museum for two weeks before moving on to the Alley Theatre on October 18.

Viewing the exhibition, Alderman Warke said it painted a fascinating picture of the city’s sporting heritage.

Alderman Warke added: “I think the exhibition is a great way to celebrate some of our local sporting heroes and to share their achievements with younger generations.

“The fact it can be made available to local groups makes history more accessible to those who maybe wouldn’t consider visiting a museum. It brings culture and heritage to new audiences and ensures these great figures live on and inspire future generations.”

Curator at the Tower Museum Roisin Doherty said: “What better way to mark Sporting Heritage Day, than by launching this collection looking back at some of the legends who hail from Derry and Strabane.

“It is a great way to remember and celebrate sporting history down through the years. I am delighted that the addition of the Pop Ups will enable the Museum to use this as a travelling exhibition.”

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Betty Doherty, assistant education and access officer at the Tower Museum, said: “Derry and Strabane have a long history of sporting achievements and organisations, from greyhound racing, boxing, judo, football, GAA, and cricket to water sports groups such as the Foyle Paddlers and City of Derry Rowing Club.

“We decided that we would celebrate these sports by adding to the Reminiscence Box and turning it into a travelling exhibition and hopefully gathering some more stories along the way.”

The reminiscence box featuring items from the exhibition will be made available to community, voluntary and statutory sector organisations on a two-week loan basis in the coming months.

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