It has won multiple awards throughout its operation, and its visitors include Charles III, Liam Neeson,[1] and various award-winning poets.

It holds a permanent exhibition titled Seamus Heaney: Man and Boy, and frequently hosts different events throughout the year.

[5][6] The company, quoted in a report by the Department for Communities, says the building was intended to reflect vernacular architecture within Bellaghy: The design draws on the built heritage of the area, giving the site a direct relationship with the village street front and public open space.

[8] It intends to combine both modern and historical architecture,[9] with Rachel Cooke for The Observer describing it as "vaguely Scandinavian",[10] using only stone, glass, and wood.

[20] Construction began in January 2015,[4] contracted to Brendan Loughran & Sons Ltd.[12] It finished in September the following year and cost £4.25 million to complete.

[33][34] The Mid Ulster Council went to the United States which an Irish News report claimed was an attempt to search for funding.

[40][41] The event was held between August 25–27[42] and was attended by ten poets, including Paul Muldoon, Niall Campbell, Emma Must, and Owen Sheers.

[40] The documentary Seamus Heaney and the Music of What Happens screened at the event, followed by a Q&A session with the director Adam Low and producer Martin Rosenbaum.