Legacy of the Man Who Documented Armagh City’s Transformation

Tributes have been offered following the death of a man who documented the evolving landscape of Armagh City. Roger Weatherup was celebrated for photographing the city over several decades. He became curator of Armagh County Museum in 1955, but his colleague and current curator, Sean Barden, stated that one of “his most enduring legacies lies in the fieldwork he undertook, camera in hand, to document the changing landscape of County Armagh”. Mr. Barden noted that Mr. Weatherup’s contributions extended “far beyond the confines of his office”. His photographic record captured significant moments, from the decline of the railway network to the devastation caused by the Troubles, preserving these transitions for future generations. “Roger’s profound love for his adopted county, coupled with his extensive knowledge of its history, proved instrumental in transforming Ireland’s oldest county museum into a model institution admired across Ireland and the United Kingdom,” Mr. Barden said. His family expressed that his legacy would endure in the local area and that he instilled a sense of community in those who knew him. His daughter, Kate, remarked that he “welcomed all irrespective of their background” and was “supportive and generous to all who had an interest in history”. “Dad had lived through so much change and he documented it throughout his life,” she told BBC News NI. “He talked of an Armagh with a train station and a bustling livestock market when he first arrived in 1955, which suffered through the Troubles but always kept resilience and great community spirit.” Mr. Weatherup possessed a “curator’s eye,” consistently knowing what to capture with his camera, thereby documenting what might change as time progressed. His daughter, Diane, recalled an instance when her father asked her to stand in a red telephone box, knowing it would soon be phased out. Mr. Weatherup’s family stated that he enjoyed working at the museum. For him, it was not merely employment; history constituted his passion. Kate mentioned that even while on holiday and away from the museum, he documented the world around him, “cataloguing historical sites, taking photographs of public transport, natural history and archaeological sites”. He held a deep affection for the Orchard County. He advocated for the use of townland names and collaborated closely with the council planning service to ensure that developers respected and reflected local history in the names utilized in the town and county. Aidan Walsh, a former colleague from the museum, described him as a community curator who believed in “serving his community above all other considerations.” Mr. Weatherup met members of the Royal Family on several occasions, including the late Queen Elizabeth II when she conferred city status upon Armagh. His daughter stated that he accompanied the late Queen and “chatted to her the way he would have anyone in the street”. By the time of his retirement in 1992, Mr. Weatherup had dedicated 37 years to curating “one of the finest museum collections in Ireland”. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.