Years of construction work have paid off as more than 200,000 people have now visited the revamped Ulster Museum since it reopened.

That makes it the busiest visitor attraction in Northern Ireland, according to the Director of National Museums Northern Ireland, Tim Cooke, who said: "It's great to see so many people from across NI and beyond so excited by the new Ulster Museum. It’s been very encouraging to welcome new audiences as well as to see the positive reaction of those who were familiar with the old museum."

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"We have in place a varied range of programming and partnership activity and would invite those who haven't yet experienced the new Ulster Museum to come and see it for themselves," he added.

Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, the organisation responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas, commented: "The newly refurbished Ulster Museum is a wonderful addition to the Belfast, and indeed the island of Ireland, tourist experience.

"Our visitors will love it. Tourism Ireland intends to grow holiday visitors to Northern Ireland by +10% in 2010 and attractions such as the Ulster Museum, with exhibitions of international renown such as a major art retrospective by Sean Scully, help to give Belfast and Northern Ireland 'stand-out' in the competitive international marketplace."

The museum reopened its doors in October 2009, after a three-year, £17m refurbishment programme.

See: Ulster Museum Reopens As Cultural Icon

(NS/BMcC)