The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), in partnership with the Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM), welcomes you to a talk by Michael Burns, Research Officer at NIWM.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, when Victory in Europe Day (8th May 1945) and Victory over Japan Day (15th August 1945) marked the formal cessation of hostilities. This talk will delve into the extensive oral history collection of NIWM to explore how these historic occasions were celebrated across Northern Ireland. It will be an opportunity to hear recollections of street parties, parades, bonfires & dances. However, for many families, these feelings of joy and relief were also mixed with grief. Added to this, there was uncertainty and anxiety, particularly as more details emerged about the horrors of the Holocaust and the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. 80 years on, we can reflect that victory was not just a celebration, but a reminder of what had been lost during the tragic years of global warfare.

Image of crowds returning along Donegall Place, Belfast, after Churchill's VE Day broadcast was relayed at City Hall, 8 May 1945.

The lecture will take place on Friday 9 May 2025 at PRONI (2 Titanic Boulevard, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9HQ) starting at 1pm.

* Register for a FREE ticket via Eventbrite: Victory 80 Years on: Voices from the NI War Memorial*