Book
Launch to take place in Museum
Next
Tuesday, July 6 at 8.00 a new book of poetry, Mo Dhúna Síoda
Buí, by Eibhlín Uí Iarlaithe, will be launched
here in the Museum. Eibhlín's very popular Na Buataisí
Buí was published last year. Dónal Mac a'tSithigh,
another of our local poets and writers, will perform the launch. All
welcome!
Museum
re-opens for summer from June bank holiday week-end 2010
The
museum will re-open on Saturday, June 5, and every day from then until
September (date to be confirmed) from 10.00 am - 5.00 pm.
Congratulations
to Scoil Cill Mhic a'Domhnaigh!
Hearty
congratulations to Lucia, the Spanish teacher, and to the pupils and
teachers of Scoil Cill Mhic a'Domhnaigh for their position as one of
4 finalists in the Colegio Español del año -
the Spanish School of the Year. Their entry, which included a trip to
the Museum to discuss Spanish connections with the area, has won a trip
for 2 teachers to Salamanca for a week, to attend a Spanish course and
to take part in cultural activities. Enhorabuena!
Funding
awarded to translate web site into French, German and Spanish
We
are delighted to announce that a grant has been sanctioned to Músaem
Chorca Dhuibhne, by the Cultural Institutions Unit of the Dept of Tourism,
Culture and Sport, to translate the museum exhibition text into Spanish,
and to provide our web site in German, French and Spanish. Hopefully
all will be completed by the end of the year.
Story-telling
and Singing Festival for the Young People of Corca Dhuibhne/
Féile
Scéalaíochta is Amhránaíochta Óige
Chorca Dhuibhne 2010
Féile Scéalaíochta
is Amhránaíochta Óige Chorca Dhuibhne 2010 took
place in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne on May 19 and 20. The Story-telling
Competition began at 7.00pm on Wednesday 19th May, and the Singing
Competition began at 7.00 pm on Thursday 20th. For further details,
please contact Máire Uí Shithigh, mus@cfcd.ie
or phone 066-9156100.
Visit
by students of Scoil Cill Mhic a'Domhnaigh
The museum was
delighted to welcome a group of students from Scoil Cill Mhic a'Domhnaigh
on February 25, 2010, along with their Spanish teacher, Lucia, and their
headmaster, Seán. Lucia had prepared a quiz for the students,
exploring the connections between Corca Dhuibhne and Spain, using the
exhibits and artefacts in the museum as a source for the answers.
We
are delighted to help use the resources of the museum in this way, and
welcome enquiries from other school groups who might like to visit the
museum at any time during the year. The curator can be contacted at
066-9156333 or at info@westkerrymuseum.com.
Students
from Scoil Cill Mhic a'Domhnaigh exploring the museum.
Launch
of 2010 Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh
The launch of
the 2010 Scoil
Cheoil an Earraigh will take place in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne
at 8.00 pm on Wednesday 17 February. Breandán
Feirtéar will do the honours, and there will be plenty of music
and singing as well. All welcome!
Also as part of
the Scoil Cheoil, a Coffee Morning in aid of Crumlin's Children's Hospital,
Dublin, will take place at 10.45 on Sunday, 21 February.
Please support this good cause!
New
Worksheet available for 2010
A third
worksheet in our series, this time on a Pilgrimage theme, will be available
to visitors to the museum this coming season. All these sheets have
been developed with the aid of funding from the Heritage Council, and
have been designed by Paul Francis. Information about the other worksheets
can be obtained on our Education
page.
Launch of Conair
Oidhreachta Chorca Dhuibhne/Dingle Peninsula Heritage Trail
The Museum, Ionad
an Bhlascaoid Mhóir (the Blasket Centre) and An Díseart
have come together, thanks to a grant from the Department
of Arts, Sport and Tourism, to offer a discount voucher to
visitors to the area in the form of a Heritage Trail visiting each of
these three exciting venues. With these vouchers it will be possible
to get up to 40% discount off the cost of normal entry to the venuse
(terms and conditions apply). The vouchers were launched in October
2009, and will be widely distributed throughout the peninsula in time
for the 2010 season. Be
sure to look out for them!
At
the launch of Conair Oidhreachta Chorca Dhuibhne/Dingle Peninsula
Heritage Trail were Mícheál de Mórdha, Manager,
The Blasket Centre, Isabel Bennett, Curator, Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne,
Muireann Nic Giolla Ruaidh, Manager, Benner’s Hotel, Dingle, who
launched the brochure, TP Ó Conchúir, Manager, Díseart
and Pádraig Firtéar, Comharchumann Forbartha Chorca Dhuibhne.
(Photo courtesy Ted Creedon, The Kerryman.)
Facebook Page
The Museum is now on Facebook.
Coffee Morning in
aid of Hospice
Once again a successful and
enjoyable Coffee Morning was held in the Museum, in aid of the Hospice,
on September 15 2009. This is an annual event, so look out for it again
in mid-September 2010.
Heritage Week 2010
As usual, the museum will
be free to visitors on the two Sundays of Heritage Week, August 22 and
August 29. Last year a new event was added to our calender. On Saturday
29 August 2009, one of the few fine days of that month, luckily, Oidhreacht
Chorca Dhuibhne/Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne staff guided a group along
Slí na Dúnta, one of the recently launched Heritage Walks.
A wonderful morning was had by all. It is planned to have a similar
event to celebrate Heritage Week 2010, which takes place from 21-29
August.
Visit by
the Heritage Council to Corca Dhuibhne
Músaem Chorca
Dhuibhne was honoured to be one of the venues visited by members of
the Heritage
Council on their recent trip to Corca Dhuibhne. The museum has benefited
considerably over the years through grants, awards and much and advice
and assistance from Council, and was delighted to be able to welcome
the group on their visit to the area in June 2009.
Launch of
Heritage Walk Guides
Three bilingual
Heritage Walk guides were launched in the Museum on Wednesday 27 May,
2009. The
launch was performed by Síle Gorman, Chairperson, Comharchumann
Turasóireachta Chorca Dhuibhne (the
Dingle Peninsula Tourism Co-operative), and of Gorman's
Cliff Top Restaurant and B&B.
Isabel
Bennett, Curator, Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Caitríona Ní
Cathail, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne and Síle Gorman, Dingle Peninsula
Tourism at the launch of the Heritage Walk Guides.
Following the launch,
the attendees accompanied staff of the Museum and of Oidhreacht Chorca
Dhuibhne on a selection of the walks. This was followed by refreshments
back at the museum.
Museum
Standards Programme for Ireland
Músaem
Chorca Dhuibhne awarded Interim Accreditation in the Museum
Standards Programme for Ireland at a ceremony in Árus na
hOidhreachta, home of
The Heritage Council in May 2008.
Michael
Starret, Chief Executive, the Heritage Council, presents the certificate
signifying the awarding of Interim Accreditation to Isabel Bennett,
Curator, Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne and Máire Uí Shithigh,
Development Officer, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne at a ceremony in Kilkenny,
May 2008.
The Museum Standards Programme consists of a series of detailed, and
rigorous, minimum standards and objectives that recognise international
best practice in museums.
The programme has
been developed over a period of pilot phases and responds to the specific
needs of the Irish museum sector. The sites listed herewith have volunteered
to actively participate in the programme and to promote its aspirations
of which the professionalisation of Irish museum practice is to the
fore.
This is being achieved
through thorough assessment procedures, training workshops together
with a post-graduate education programme.
Recent improvements to the museum carried out with generous grant aid
from the Heritage Council included:
- the provision
of new, updated information labels on the shell collection
- the purchase
of two further high-standard display case
- the purchase
of two more dehumidifiers
- the improving
and re-printing of a work-sheet for children
- the rebinding
and repair of some of the more important books in our library
- the purchase
of further archival storage materials for the museum photographic
collection.
- upgrading the
alarm system.
Online Catalogue
Much work was carried out in the summer of 2007 to photograph items
in the collection with a view to preparing an on-line catalogue. (This
work was carried out with generous grant aid from The
Heritage Council). Work has begun on developing an on-line catalogue
of the museum collection.
New Exhibitions
Geology
|
| A small but
pertinent geology exhibition was recently installed, devised and
mounted by Dr Richard Unitt,
University College, Cork. |
Seashells
| |
| The shell exhibition,
part of the Michael Long collection, has been recently revised,
with new labelling and improved identification (by Dr.
Julia Nunn, Ulster Museum). |
Travelling
Exhibitions 2008
From 15th August to 12th September 2008 an exhibition devised by the
Royal Society of Antiquaries
of Ireland, in conjunction with ENFO
"Our Heritage - A Shared Inheritance" was on display in
the museum. The exhibition tells about our built heritage which encompasses
the places where people were born, lived, learned, farmed, fished and
traded, we all can play our part in defining, preserving and examining
our heritage.
|
| Some
of the prints from the Leabhar Mór
exhibition on display recently
in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne. |
Translations
A translation of the main museum exhibition text is now available in
Polish, French, German and Norwegian, as well as in Irish and English.
Worksheets
The
museum has a policy of developing worksheets on various topics which
connect the Museum to the sites and monuments in the surrounding area.
These are available in Irish or in English, and are suitable for older
primary school students, as well as older students and learners of Irish
at all levels.
To
date, the following worksheets are available:
X There is a work-sheet
based on the museum’s display.
X There is a worksheet
about the monastic site at Riasc, excavated during the 1970's, which
is close to the museum, is also available, again in Irish or English.
Artefacts from the site are on display in the Museum.
X
The most recent worksheet to be published (autumn 2009) is that on the
subject of Cill Maolchéadair and Cosán na Naomh/The Saints'
Path. It is currently only available from the museum but will shortly
be made available to download.
Continuing the series of worksheets, the development of which is part
of the Education Policy of the museum, it is hoped to develop a further
example on the subject of Spanish Connections with the area/Dún
an Óir.
We
appreciate continued grant aid from the Heritage
Council which assisted in the preparation of these resources.
Magazine Review
Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne received a very complimentary review in
a recent issue of History
Ireland. To read the review in .pdf format, please click here.
The museum was also reviewed in Museum Ireland
Vol. 13, 2003, the journal of the Irish
Museums Association.
You can read an
article by the curator of the museum and Patricia O’Hare (Muckross
House) about their joint experience with involvement in the Heritage
Council Museum Accreditation Pilot Study (the forerunner to the Museum
Standards Programme for Ireland) in The
Kerry Magazine issue 15, 2005.
Bain
taitneamh as do thuras!
WE
HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR VISIT!
