The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
The Clare Museum is among seven of Ireland’s museums which have been recognised for high standards of management, care of collections and visitor services, by the Heritage Council under its Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI).
Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane and the Zoological Museum in Trinity College were awarded full accreditation, while Farmleigh OPW and the GAA Museum have successfully maintained their full accreditation.
Three other museums – Clare Museum, Dublin Castle State Apartments OPW and Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda – have been awarded interim accreditation.
Michael Starrett, Heritage Council Chief Executive outlined that Clare Museum submitted a high quality and thorough application and strove hard to complete any outstanding matters. In particular, Clare Museum regularized the questions about collections ownership, documentation and disposal policy.
“It has also prepared a sound Strategic Management Plan, something it did not have in 2007. The preparation of an SMP is one the more onerous tasks of the MSPI scheme and Clare Museum is to be congratulated on presenting a sound and sensible plan. Clare Museum is to be congratulated on the very high standard of the collection, disposal and loan policies submitted. It is also to be commended for already achieving two Full Standards in advance of its application for full standard accreditation.
“Also commended are the curator’s studies for a post-graduate Diploma in Museum Practice and Management at the University of Ulster. It is clear to the assessors that Clare Museum has approached the scheme in a professional manner and that it conducts its business in a similar fashion, “ he added.
Mr Starrett said museums tell our story. “They hold in trust for the people, native and visitor alike, a great many objects, documents and artefacts that we value and wish to pass on to future generations. Accreditation under the Museum Standards Programme offers quality assurance to all visitors that these museums are adhering to a very high set of standards”.
