Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the decision by Cork Public Museum to join the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland. The Museum officially applied to the programme in September 2016. The Museum was accepted into the programme two months ago and thus began a 3-5-year process to achieve interim and then full accreditation.

    Cllr McCarthy noted: “The Museum will need to survey and evaluate its current practices and structures in order to measure them against the standards and guidelines expected by the Heritage Council. This will determine areas of operation that need to be improved and professionalised. The process will involve a closer working relationship between the museum management and various City Council directorates. There will also need to be investment in staffing structures, equipment and building maintenance/ refurbishment to successfully meet 34 standards. Museum staff would have access to training and large bursaries and form part of a national network of participating and supportive museums/ organisation”.

   Continuing Cllr McCarthy welcomed the potential of the programme in attaining national funding to protect museum collection plus the outreach potential. “Cork City Council has very good and dedicated curators operating the museum, who have created sterling exhibitions over the last few years and are real champions of Cork’s heritage. The programme will help increase our educational and social outreach capabilities that will form part of a wider agenda to make the city’s collections more accessible to all. This programme will help Cork Public Museum re-connect with the local community by becoming a place that local people relate to, participate in, engage with and ultimately be proud of. If local people visit and enjoy the museum, then tourists will follow”.