Clare Museum is seeking donations to expand its collections and to achieve greater representation of the lives of people in Clare for future generations to enjoy.
Clare Museum’s Collection Policy is designed to help the museum achieve its mission through focused collecting. It also recognises the collection as the museum’s greatest resource, underpinning exhibitions and educational activities.
According to Curator John Rattigan: “Clare Museum will collect items that exist in, or can be provenanced to, County Clare. We have been successfully collecting through the pandemic, but at a lower rate for obvious reasons – it was harder to meet people. We are particularly interested in items associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, but also items relating to the lives of women, local businesses and the Irish Civil War in Clare, which began a century ago.”
However, items from more recent decades are also required. “An ongoing survey of museum visitors has highlighted an interest in items from the 1950s to the turn of the century which many of our visitors remember and which they would like to show their children or grandchildren,” said Mr Rattigan.
He added: “Items of interest such as objects or promotional material relating to local businesses from times gone by or items relating to childhood such as toys, games and school in times past would also be welcome.”
The museum is keen to be representative of local communities often overlooked by museums, including objects relating to the everyday lives of women, the Traveller community, immigrants and people with a disability.
The Collection Policy is available on the museum’s website for the consultation of anyone interested in donating an item.
For further information, museum curator John Rattigan can be contacted at 065-6823382 or at claremuseum@clarecoco.ie.