The rationalisation plan was agreed by the local government authority’s Borough Growth Committee in June 2019. The first phase involved a review of artefacts owned by the council of which 72 were assessed as “hazardous or beyond economic repair” with the return of 305 long-term loans to their owners. Many artefacts were found to have been on loan to the local authority for a “considerable period of time” including one for almost 30 years. From April until June 2022, a review of costumes and textiles was carried out with advice from textile and costume researcher Jenny Hazlett. Ninety items were identified for “dispersal” – 65 from Larne Museum; 14, Mid-Antrim Museum, Ballymena and 11, Carrickfergus Museum. Speaking at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Borough Growth Committee at Larne’s Smiley Buildings, on Monday evening, Coast Road Ulster Unionist Councillor Maureen Morrow asked if the costumes could be offered to local drama groups. Textile items are to be used in a “heritage based creative project with local community groups” if their donors do not wish the items to be returned. During phase one, a gas mask from Carrick Museum and 16 damaged household items from the Andrew Jackson Cottage at Eden were dumped. From Larne Museum, a damaged evening bag, inkwell, trinket box and decanter were binned. Permanent Collection A set of recordings from the Princess Victoria ship has been transferred to Larne Museum’s permanent collection. Thirteen items were disposed of from Mid-Antrim Museum, Ballymena. including a cog wheel, cart step and shaft, camping stove and cobbler’s duck. There are 7,000 items in the store at Mid Antrim Museum and 20 large agricultural items at Creevamoy store in Broughshane. There are 18,000 items in storage at LEDCOM for Larne Museum including photos, paintings, costume, metal, glass, fossils and tools. This facility has been leased by the council since October 2020. Three hundred textile items, 676 items including archaeological material such as flint, bone, ceramics, 1,680 “loose images” in albums, 200 books and a collection of maps are in storage at Carrickfergus Museum. Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter