WITH museums closed for the immediate future, one such West Cork attraction is thinking outside the box by allowing history fans take a virtual tour of their premises.
The Michael Collins House on Emmet Square in Clonakilty released their own Michael Collins House app recently and it’s already proving a hit with visitors.
Speaking to The Southern Star, general manager Jamie Murphy said they wanted to continue to bring the story of Michael Collins to the public despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
‘We have always had the app available here as an audio visual guide to visitors who wished to take a self guided tour. It has always been well received as there is a host of additional content on the app that we just don’t have the space in museum to display,’ said Jamie.
‘So we have amended this app now to be a virtual tour of the museum allowing people at home to take a ‘tour’ of the museum. They can also watch audio-visuals, archive footage, photos and explore all our artefacts.’
With their monthly ‘History Talks’ suspended for the moment, Jamie and the team are also releasing their back catalogue of talks as well as interviews and discussions through their new podcast on the app.
‘Episode one is currently available with a new episode becoming available every few days. We will also be adding some discussion pieces and essays to answer the questions and debates we face on a daily basis in the museum,’ added Jamie.
With the tourism season about to begin, Jamie said that the current crisis has made them reassess their plans.
‘Michael Collins House isn’t just a physical building, it’s about the experiences and content that we provide,’ Jamie explained.
‘Our aim has always been to make it accessible to people of all ages and interests so this crisis has just made us think outside the box and bring it to people in a different manner.’
The Michael Collins House app is available at https://michaelcollinshouse.oncell.com or on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
