SERVICES
Award being presented by the Chair of the Heritage Council, Michael Parsons and the CEO of Kilkenny County Council, Colette Byrne to the museum staff along with the Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Cllr David Maxwell, Director of Service, Adge King and Chairperson of the Museum Advisory Committee, Maeve Hackett.
Monaghan County Museum today (10.07.18) confirmed its status of a Fully Accredited member of the Museum Standards for Ireland Programme at an awards ceremony at Kilkenny Castle.
Established by the Heritage Council in 2006 to benchmark and promote professional standards in the care of collections, the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI) has attracted involvement across the cultural spectrum, from national institutions to small, volunteer-led organisations. Representative of the new dynamism and activity of the museum sector in 2018, Monaghan County Museum is one of 64 museums and galleries to benefit from participation in the MSPI to date. While recognising the achievement of standards through accreditation, the MSPI is also about supporting the museum community as a whole. Its participants engage in a range of processes, which help to secure Ireland’s collections for future generations and to engage its visitors with what those collections have to offer.
Representatives from Monaghan County Museum joined museum workers – professional and voluntary – from across Ireland at the MSPI awards ceremony in Kilkenny Castle today. It was one of nine Irish museums recognised for excellence and professionalism, and one of eight to be awarded the top standard of Full Accreditation. The rigorous assessment process requires museums to meet each of 34 internationally recognised MSPI standards ensuring the highest standards in visitor services, collections care and governance.
The MSPI assessor was impressed with the knowledge and involvement of all of the staff at Monaghan County Museum, which is obvious throughout the policies, exhibitions and education provision. There are many aspects of collection management that are also exemplary.
Plans for the future development of the Museum were also noted in the MSPI assessor’s report. Commenting on this, the Museum’s Curator, Liam Bradley, said:
‘Monaghan County are currently developing plans for a new building to house the service in Monaghan Town. The new museum, which will explore the story of the border region from the Bronze Age Black Pigs Dyke to the modern political border, will form part of a campus that will include a new library and youth service for the region.’
Speaking at the awards ceremony today, the Chairman of the Heritage Council, Mr Michael Parsons said:
‘What we see through this programme is that Ireland’s museums are exciting and vibrant places where the staff are working hard, often with very limited budgets and resources, to ensure that the collections in their care are protected and made available to the public. Not only is this important work from a cultural point of view, it also supports tourism in a locality and helps people feel proud of the place where they live.’
Today’s accreditations followed an extensive assessment programme carried out by national and international experts. Of the eight museums awarded Full Accreditation, four – The Butler Gallery; Chester Beatty Library; Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum and Monaghan County Museum – retained Full Accreditation that had been previously won, while four others – The Heritage Centre, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland; Clare Museum; Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Baile an Fheirtéaraig and An Seanchaí – Kerry Writers’ Museum – achieved Full Accreditation for the first time. Thomas MacDonagh Museum in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary was awarded Interim Accreditation.