Muckross wins three national awards from the Heritage Council

Three sites at Muckross in Killarney celebrate on day of recognition for the museum sector.

A total of 13 museums were celebrated 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.

Three sites at Muckross in Killarney maintained full accreditation for the third time, making them the MSPI’s most successful participant to date in terms of consistently upholding standards over a 17-year period. Other award-winners include the Michael Davitt Museum in Mayo, as well as museums run by local authorities, national organisations, and small volunteer groups.

Factors taken into account during the assessment process include how museums care for their collections and visitors, as well as governance and management standards, and their education and exhibition programmes. Since its inception in 2006, the Irish museum sector has continued to embrace the programme with participation growing from 12 museum sites to 73 in 2023.

Muckross House, together with Muckross House Research Library and Muckross Traditional Farms, make up the three sites which received ‘maintenance of full accreditation’ for the third time. By pre- serving and caring for its collections and buildings, these sites collectively provide a deeply authentic and valuable insight into traditions and life in Ireland and Kerry from a number of vantage points. Research and Education Officer at Muckross House, and Council Member with the Heritage Council Patricia O’Hare said:

“Our sites have a long and proud history of working alongside the MSPI and were among the original museums to participate in the programme when it was initiated. It is very satisfying to see how much the programme has grown since then and how our own sites at Muckross have developed in tandem. The benefits of achieving and maintaining full accreditation by engaging in the programme have had a transformative effect on the quality of the collections and buildings we upkeep, as well as on the overall visitor experience across our three sites.”

Commenting at the ceremony, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council Virginia Teehan said:

“As Ireland’s only accreditation programme for museums, MSPI has become an integral part of the sector. Seeing the variety of museums represented at the ceremony, along with the increase in participants year on year, further underline its importance. I am happy to say that the Heritage Council has committed in its new five-year strategy to making further improvements to the MSPI through increased funding, and through new training and professional development opportunities for the volunteers and the professionals who run our museums.”

Presenting the awards today, Council Member for the Heritage Council, Sheila Pratschke said:

“It was a real privilege for me to be in Kilkenny Castle, another MSPI-accredited site, and to be able to personally congratulate all of this year’s award winners. I know how hard these museums have worked for their accreditation and are richly deserving of this recognition.”

Tom Allison, from Sneem, a traditional full time blacksmith, demonstrates his artistry at Muckross Traditional Farms, as part of Kerry County Council - Architecture Kerry 2022 weekend Festival. The farm hosted a series of Traditional Skills & Crafts event. The weekend celebrated Kerry's architectural landscape and heritage, with featured talks, guided tours and exhibitions to showcase the extraordinary built environment in Kerry.