The exhibition From Leaders to Exiles, the Flight of the Earls was organised by Donegal County Museum and County Archives Service in conjunction with Derry City Council Heritage and Museum Service to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls. The exhibition was on display in the Donegal County Museum from the 12th September 2007 to 28th January 2008.
Following discussions with the Irish Embassy in Switzerland and a visit by Ambassador James Sharkey to the Museum, it was agreed to transport the exhibition to Switzerland. The exhibition traveled to Switzerland in February where it was on display in the Museum Kleines Klingental, Basel from the 27th of February to 10th March and in the James Joyce Foundation, Zurich from the 18th March to the 2nd April. Ambassador James Sharkey described the exhibition “as a great credit to Donegal”.
Dr Guy Morin, Regierungspräsident (President of Basel Canton), Cllr John Boyle, Mayor of Donegal and Alderman Drew Thompson, Mayor of Derry officially opened the exhibition on Friday 29th February. The Basel Irish Association, who were the main partners in bringing the exhibition to Basel, were represented at the opening along with representatives of the other Swiss Irish societies (Berne, Geneva and Zurich), the Cantonal Government, Tourism Ireland, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.
Ambassador James Sharkey stated that the exhibition and this opening event were “an unsurpassed opportunity to promote Irelands North West Region … in Switzerland”.
The exhibition was part of a series of events entitled “A Bridge Between Ireland and Europe” (www.flightoftheearls.ch) organised to commemorate the Flight of the Earls by the Irish Embassy and the Irish Community in Switzerland. There were exhibitions, concerts and theatre performances in various cities, and the unveiling of a special plaque to commemorate the Earls journey in Andermatt on 17th March.
The exhibition will travel to Rome in April for the Flight of the Earls Commemorations, 11th to 14th April 2008. The exhibition will be the main backdrop to the opening event, an Irish music concert at the Angelicum University and will also be displayed at the Teatro della Cometa, where "Running Beast", a play/musical piece based on the life of Hugh O'Neill will be performed.