THE HERITAGE COUNCIL
MUSEUM STANDARDS PROGRAMME
AWARDS CEREMONY
2015
Presentation by
Michael Starrett
Chief Executive
8th July 2015
Minister
Colleagues
Friends
Ladies and Gentlemen
Let me welcome you all to this event, and if I may I would like to
welcome the Minister in particular and thank her for taking the
time to once again show her support for, and understanding of, the
work of the heritage sector.
It is almost exactly one year since the Minister took up her
responsibilities in this area and I have certainly lost count of the
number of times she has responded positively to a request to meet
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with and engage with (at a wide range of events) the community
representatives that for the most part give of their time and
expertise freely to highlight the significant contribution this sector
makes to enhancing the quality of all our lives.
From Kerry to Donegal and Derry
From Waterford to Monaghan and Cavan
From Dublin to Laois to Galway
And just about everywhere in between, some 58 communities and
their museums are actively involved in caring for their collections
through this programme. That is a lot of people.
And it brings even more together.
It is worth reflecting on the origins of the Museums Standards
Programme. At the turn of the last century the Heritage Council
embarked on an inventory to look at the state of collections in
Ireland. It was intended as an all Ireland County Survey but by the
time the first few Counties in pilot programme had been completed
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it was evident that the situation was so bad that there was a real
and urgent need for action. The museum community led from the
front in identifying the issues and the potential solutions and the
Heritage Council used its formal legislative responsibilities to
submit a formal proposal to the Minister of the day. The proposal
was accepted and Council tasked with implementing it. We now
have this jewel in the crown that is the Museums Standards
Programme for Ireland.
This day is of course a celebration of how WORK and
COMMITTMENT and KNOWLEDGE can be translated in to the
attainment of high standards in terms of caring for the collections
that mean so much to us as a people, and indeed, tell so much
about ourselves. Accreditation does not come easy (nor should it)
and for those that fell just short on this occasion and are doubtless
disappointed our commitment to you is that the networking and
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mentoring that is available will help you along the road in the
weeks and months to come.
Ownership, provenance, governance, conservation, display,
education and interpretation are just some of the aspects that are
covered in order to secure accreditation, interim or full and indeed
to maintain that accreditation. And the Minister and the Heritage
Council need no reminding following recent events of just how
perilous are the circumstances and conditions surrounding some of
the major collections that serve to make this country so unique.
It is so good today to be able to recognise achievement and to
acknowledge it in the presence of the Minister. We should never
underestimate the importance of such endeavour. I understand the
importance of such acknowledgement not only first hand but also
its infectious nature and the sense of well being it brings to the
much wider family circle.
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That infectious nature certainly applies here today. The impact of
making these awards reaches far and wide, and lends support and
encouragement in the museum community that does not go
unnoticed in every corner of this Island. The presence of the
Minister not only demonstrates her clear commitment to help work
with us to make sure we can continue to support those
communities in their work, but is also of vital importance if we are
to share the benefits with a much wider audience.
We know the potential that is offered and have worked with many
partners to show what is possible. So too does every single
representative of the sector present here today. The facts and
figures and research are all there to make the case. The time has to
be right to realise the potential offered, to give real signs of
encouragement and support. That requires some risk taking, and
the gradual and phased re-investment by government in support of
such community based heritage infrastructure. The investment in
relative terms is small yet our research shows that returns on such
investment are immense in terms of employment, tourism,
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educational opportunities as well as gaining support from citizens
in every corner of Ireland. I look forward to working with all our
partners and the Minister in particular, in trying to kick start that
re-investment in the weeks and months to come.
Last month the Heritage Council celebrated its 20th Anniversary
with over 350 representatives from the heritage community. We
did so in the presence of the President of Ireland, Michael D
Higgins, who encouraged us to continue to be imaginative and
innovative in our approach. The Chairman of the Heritage Council,
Conor Newman set out the aspirations of the Heritage Council for
the next 20 years – focusing on a dimension of heritage that will
shape the work of the Council over the next twenty years - namely
realising the potential it has in creating and repairing community
cohesion, collective well being and a sense of belonging. All of your
work here today can be seen as contributing to those endeavours,
and in asking the Minister to the podium I take this opportunity to
congratulate you all on your achievement. You provide the energy
that we all feed off. Minister the floor is yours.
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ENDS
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