The Oughley Shed

The Oughley Shed installation transports visitors into the 1930s sanctuary David Strain created to entertain friends and lovers away from home. From the outside, David’s shed looked like any other. But the interior reveals a place of Oscar Wildean decadence.

Strain was a diary writer, born in County Down in 1896, barely missing a daily entry between 1920 and 1941. When he died of a stroke in 1969 his diaries - along with letters, photo albums, and newspaper cuttings - were deposited in The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. David led a dualistic life. By day he was a dutiful son, dedicated to the family business and his mother, especially after his father died in 1935. However, during the evenings and weekends, David had his shed, built at Oughley Hill, on the outskirts of Belfast.

What to see:

A peat-scented pot belly stove provides a warm welcome. Photographs of David’s friends, family, and his beloved Jack Murray demonstrate his rich social life; a green carnation buttonhole nods to his obsession with Oscar Wilde. Hidden in the secret drawer of a writing box are replicas of Belfast Telegraph personal ads used by David and other men who were seeking a male companion.

The Oughley Shed is in partnership with PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland), Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University.

Find out more>>