Days Out NI
Heritage site Bellaghy

Seamus Heaney HomePlace

Two floors devoted to a Nobel laureate, built on the village where his poems began.

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Check hoursMonday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1p…
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Seamus Heaney HomePlace — Two floors devoted to a Nobel laureate, built on the village where his poems began.

  • Getting in: Walk-in. Admission charged for the exhibition (roughly £10 adult, £6 child 8+, under-8s free, family about £24 — confirm current price). Café and shop free to enter.
  • Opening: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Check before travelling, especially around holidays.
  • Inside: Yes — the whole point of the visit is inside, across two floors.
  • Dogs: Assistance dogs welcome; check policy on other dogs before you bring one to an indoor centre.
  • Parking: On-site car park. Coaches have a set-down and turning area, with coach parking on the street.
  • Food: HomePlace Café on site for coffee and lunch.
Plan your visit

See the poems and the man who wrote them

The exhibition runs across both floors. Downstairs holds the personal things: photographs, manuscripts including a handwritten copy of The Conway Stewart, his leather schoolbag and the desk he sat at as a boy. Upstairs, word-mobiles drawn from his poems hang overhead. Audio points let you hear Heaney read his own work, and the donated library puts hundreds of his own books within reach. The Creative Zone gives families a hands-on space to make and write.

Two-floor exhibition Heaney in his own voice His school desk and schoolbag 190-seat Helicon Family Creative Zone Café and shop
Good to know before you go:

The Helicon performance space hosts readings, music, talks and family events through the year, and the centre runs changing programmes around Heaney's work and the wider arts. Check the latest listings before you visit.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Comfy shoesThere is usually a bit of walking, some steps and uneven older ground.
  • 📷A cameraThe history, the architecture and the setting are all worth capturing.
  • 💷A few poundsSome heritage sites are ticketed or have a shop and café — handy to have.
  • 💧Water and a snackNot every site has a café on hand, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
Walk-in. Admission charged for the exhibition (roughly £10 adult, £6 child 8+, under-8s free, family about £24 — confirm current price). Café and shop free to enter.
Opening
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Check before travelling, especially around holidays.
Can you go inside
Yes — the whole point of the visit is inside, across two floors.
Food
HomePlace Café on site for coffee and lunch.
Dogs
Assistance dogs welcome; check policy on other dogs before you bring one to an indoor centre.
Parking
On-site car park. Coaches have a set-down and turning area, with coach parking on the street.
Accessibility
Modern two-storey building with lift access between floors. Contact the centre for specific access needs.
How long to allow
About 1.5 to 2 hours for the exhibition; longer with a meal or an event.
Address
45 Main Street, Bellaghy, BT45 8HT
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to visit?
Walk-in. Admission charged for the exhibition (roughly £10 adult, £6 child 8+, under-8s free, family about £24 — confirm current price). Café and shop free to enter.
Can you go inside?
Yes — the whole point of the visit is inside, across two floors.
When is it open?
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Check before travelling, especially around holidays.
Can I bring the dog?
Assistance dogs welcome; check policy on other dogs before you bring one to an indoor centre.
Where do I park?
On-site car park. Coaches have a set-down and turning area, with coach parking on the street.
Getting there

Seamus Heaney HomePlace is at 45 Main Street, Bellaghy, BT45 8HT. On-site car park. Coaches have a set-down and turning area, with coach parking on the street. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

The story of Seamus Heaney HomePlace

Seamus Heaney was born in 1939 at Mossbawn, a farm near Bellaghy in County Londonderry, and the fields, bog and people of this corner of mid-Ulster run all the way through his poetry. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995 and died in 2013. The HomePlace was created to keep his life and work rooted in the place that shaped them.

The centre stands on the site of a former Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks. Mid Ulster District Council bought the abandoned site in the late 1990s as Northern Ireland demilitarised, and basalt stone from the old barracks was built into the new design.

Construction ran from January 2015 to September 2016 at a cost of £4.25 million. The 21,000 square foot, two-storey building opened to the public on 30 September 2016, the evening after a private family opening, and drew around 40,000 visitors in its first year.

The council owns and runs the centre, which Heaney's nephew Brian McCormick manages. Its permanent exhibition, Seamus Heaney: Man and Boy, and its 190-seat Helicon performance space have won a string of awards, including a 2022 Tourism NI innovation award.