Funding boost for Mayo museums

Minister of State Alan Dillon TD has welcomed the confirmation of €18,200 in funding for two Mayo museums under the Regional Museum Exhibitions Scheme 2026.

The funding, announced by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan TD, will see €7,700 awarded to Knock Museum for its Papal Chairs Exhibition, and €10,500 awarded to The Clarke Museum of Irish History in Ballina for new QR-code digital interpretation and audio guides.

The Mayo investment forms part of €273,615 being allocated nationally across 25 projects.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister Dillon said he was delighted to see the funding coming to two important Mayo museums, describing the investments as practical measures that would improve how people experience the county's history and heritage while making the collections more accessible to both locals and visitors.

On the Knock allocation, Minister Dillon said the €7,700 would help present the papal chairs associated with the visits of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis in a fitting and accessible way.

He noted that those visits form an important part of Knock's modern history, and said the investment would help preserve and share that story with the many pilgrims and visitors who come to Knock each year.

Turning to the Ballina project, Minister Dillon said the €10,500 for The Clarke Museum of Irish History was equally welcome, with QR codes, multilingual digital content and audio guides set to open the museum's collection to a wider audience.

He thanked his colleague Minister Patrick O'Donovan for supporting both Mayo projects and congratulated the teams in Knock and Ballina for their continued work protecting local heritage and bringing it to life for the next generation.

Minister Dillon said the investment would also strengthen Mayo's wider cultural and tourism offering.