BY HELEN RIDDELL
THE Allihies Copper Mine Museum is among 13 museums which received official accreditation under the Heritage Council’s museum standards programme for Ireland (MSPI) which was established to promote professional standards in museums throughout Ireland.
A plan to open a museum in Allihies to document the rich mining heritage of the area was first raised by a group of volunteers in 1993 and in 2007 President Mary MacAleese officially opened the Allihies Copper Mine Museum.
It was established in what was a former Methodist chapel used by Cornish miners. Museum chairperson Tadhg O’Sullivan was one of a delegation from Allihies who travelled to Kilkenny to attend the awards ceremony and said the group were delighted to receive their official accreditation.
‘We had become very good at applying for, and using, capital grants to get to this point but it suddenly dawned on us that we didn’t actually have any idea how to run a museum day-to-day. We hadn’t properly considered the interdependency between the various components of a museum that contribute to an overall great experience for the visitor.’
Tadhg said that since joining the MSPI programme, they have stopped at nothing to attain the highest standards.
This commitment has resulted in the museum developing a formidable reputation, both regionally and nationally and has, he said, led to the museum becoming one of the most popular attractions in the region, and a source of immense pride for the local community.
Chairperson of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said that the growing number of museums participating in the MSPI is a testament to the regard in which it is held by the sector.
