Explore Heaney’s home at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy, a centre dedicated to the life, work and legacy of one of Ireland’s greatest writer.

Seamus Heaney HomePlace is a 2,000 square metre arts and literary centre in Bellaghy, just a 15 minute drive from Ardtara Country House. It stands at the heart of the area where the poet, scholar and Nobel Laureate spent his formative years and to which he returned time and time again, both physically and as a rich source of inspiration for his poetry.

 

A stunning exhibition packed with never-before-seen artefacts will help you discover the world in which Heaney lived. You can explore his roots, hear from the people who inspired him, see an interpretation of his famous study, and find out he became the most celebrated poet of our age.

Seamus Heaney Exhibition

Seamus Heaney’s deep connections with the place and its people are explored in an exhibition across two floors, featuring dozens of personal stories, photographs and artefacts – from his school desk to his school satchel – as well as the voice of the poet himself reading his own work.

A representation of his attic study, which includes items from the original room in Dublin and original manuscripts, transports visitors back to 1995 when Seamus Heaney, on holiday in Greece, remained unaware that he had been awarded the highest of all literary accolades – the Nobel Prize in Literature – while messages of congratulations flooded in from around the world.

In this space, a film of reactions to the award, including from the man himself, his wife and children and leading cultural figures, recalls the significance of the announcement and the ceremony.

As visitors make their journey through his life and literature, they’ll encounter the objects, events, people, words, landscapes which sparked his imagination, and receive an insight into the building blocks, tools and methods Heaney employed as he embarked on the poetic process.

There’s also the opportunity to get creative. Make a paper kite, play with words, pick up a pen and write, draw or colour. Dress up like a blacksmith or a Boston Fireman, or simply sit down with a book.