THE cross-community artistic work of Irish actor, writer and musician Richard Hayward is to be celebrated in his adopted home-town of Larne.
A talk on the life of Hayward, regarded as an "early example of a cult celebrity in Ireland", is to be held on Friday with an exhibition dedicated to him already underway.
Known for his unique voice and his literary talents, which ranged from poetry, novel writing that explored aspects of Irish cultural history, he also penned 11 travel books on Ireland.
Born in England in 1892, he was raised and educated in Larne and went on to became a broadcaster, folklorist and collector of Ulster dialect.
He also recorded Orange ballads and traditional Irish folk songs and played the harp.
He lived in Belfast and devoted his days to promoting Ireland and appeared in early Irish films including The Luck of the Irish (1935) and Irish and Proud of It (1936).
Fifty-five years after his death in a car crash near Ballymena in 1964, Larne Museum and Arts Centre is paying tribute to his life by hosting an exhibition and acknowledging the vital role the area played in his work.
Among the items on display are Hayward's travel trunk and suitcase, clothes and a number of his books.
There are also artefacts from his school days at Larne Grammar School, while visitors will be able to hear recordings of him playing the harp and singing Orange songs and Irish ballads.
His pipe and cigarette holder are also among the items on show as well as two of his neck ties - one with the red Hand of Ulster and the other with green Irish harps.
Paul Clements, who has written a biography on Hayward and will host the talk on him, said: "A lot of people haven't heard about Hayward, but there was a great cross-community side to him.
"He was known for singing Orange ballads to traditional Irish songs and recorded an LP with the legendary fiddle player Sean Maguire, who lived on the Falls Road.
"The exhibition reflects this aspect of both traditions and for the first time is displaying a considerable amount of material which has not been seen for many decades.
"This includes personal effects such as his travel trunk and suitcase, his ties and other clothing, as well as many rare photographs."
The exhibition runs until December 31 and the talk takes place at the museum on Friday at 7.30pm.
