Museum responds to Turlough Park concerns

THE National Museum of Ireland has issued a statement this morning (Wednesday) to allay concerns over the future of the Museum of Country Life in Turlough.

The statement outlined: “In response to concerns expressed recently over the future of the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life at Turlough Park, Castlebar, the director and board of the National Museum of Ireland wish to make it absolutely clear and to state categorically that the Museum of Country Life in Co. Mayo is an integral part of the National Museum of Ireland and will continue to be so into the future.

“The National Museum of Ireland is currently engaged in a master-planning process to map out the development of the museum for the next 15 years. This will ensure that NMI can continue to enhance our services to the Irish people across our four sites – Archaeology, Decorative Arts & History, and Natural History in Dublin, and the Museum of Country Life in Mayo.

“As part of this process we are consulting, and will continue to consult, widely with our stakeholders – including our staff in Mayo and with Mayo County Council and other stakeholders in the region and nationally – about how we can best build on and improve the services and facilities at the Museum of Country Life.”

The statement continued: “Féile na Tuaithe was initiated by the Museum of Country Life in 2005 and has run at the museum since then except in 2012 and 2013 when funding was not available. It came back in 2014 with generous financial assistance from Mayo County Council for the past three years. Féile na Tuaithe has been a very successful highlight in the museum’s calendar, growing and developing over the years.

“With the expiry of the three-year funding agreement with Mayo County Council, the museum is taking the opportunity to undertake a thorough review of Féile na Tuaithe with the aim of ensuring that our programme of events and activities can meet the museum’s objectives with the resources available to it. We will be consulting widely as part of this review.

“To facilitate the review, we regret that Féile na Tuaithe will not run in 2017. We understand and regret the disappointment that this will cause. We look forward, however, to the outcome of the review and to the implementation of a sustainable programme of events in the coming years.”

In relation to staffing levels at the musuem, the statement added: “While the public service embargo on the recruitment of staff has affected staffing levels in the museum, as elsewhere, the museum is currently recruiting to fill a number of vacancies. This includes the recent appointment of a new marketing executive at the Museum of Country Life to drive visitor numbers and promote this wonderful and important facility.

“The appointment of a folklife curator at assistant keeper grade 1 level will take place shortly. Other vacancies will be filled as resources allow.”