The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
CLARE Museum is celebrating after maintaining a top national award from the Heritage Council.
The museum in the heart of Ennis was among 13 honoured at a ceremony in Kilkenny Castle having achieved official accreditation under the Heritage Council’s Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI).
Established to promote professional standards in museums, selection under the MSPI is a major accolade with accredited museums considered to have attained excellence across a range of areas.
The museum assessors noted Clare Museum’s continued work on adding to its collections. With the assistance of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland, the museum purchased a drawing by the celebrated artist, William Frederick Burton who spent his childhood in the Burren.
The museum is one a handful of museums which has placed its collection online, and through the work of volunteers, opened a new temporary exhibition in 2019 on the War of Independence, enhanced by a series of public lectures.
The museum also launched its first public lecture series in 2020 which was hugely popular before being terminated due to the pandemic.
Taking advantage of refurbishment of the local tourist office which shares entry with the museum, a new display area will open showcasing the De Valera-owned 1947 Dodge Plymouth that once graced the library in Ennis but has now been transferred to the museum.
Since its inception in 2006, the Irish museum sector has continued to embrace the accreditation programme with participation growing from 12 museum sites to 67 in 2022.
Because no two museums are the same, the path to accreditation is different for all participants.
Whereas museums with large collections may encounter challenges relating to storage and upkeep of large volumes of material, the volunteers in smaller museums may struggle to find the time or motivation to reach the MSPI standards.
Welcoming the news that Clare Museum has received the MSPI accreditation, Councillor Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, said: “I wish to commend the staff of Clare Museum on achieving this accreditation and on maintaining a standard of excellence. Following the refurbishment to the museum building, the museum continues to expand its collection, further enhancing its offering as a visitor attraction in the heart of Ennis Town.”
Commenting on the ceremony, Chairperson of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said, “The growing number of museums participating in the MSPI is testament to the regard in which it is held by the sector.
It is wonderful to see representatives from so many different museums, all of whom have worked so hard to ensure the best possible standards are met; a commitment that has hugely positive benefits for cultural life in Ireland, for visitors to the museums and tourism in the country generally.”
Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, said, “It’s such a pleasure to mark and celebrate the presentation of accreditation certificates under MSPI. These museums have worked very hard for their accreditation and richly deserve this recognition for their efforts.”
