Museums Awards Scheme
The Museum Awards aim to highlight and celebrate the achievements of museums and collections, together with their curators and staff, as they strive to care for and protect our heritage, and make it as accessible to as many people as possible. The Heritage Council, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Museums Council run the Museum Awards biennially.
At the awards ceremony held in Iveagh House, Dublin on 18th May 2009, awards were presented to various Museum in the north and in the republic in the following categories.
- Collections Care
- Education and Community Engagement
- Local Authority Museums
- Exhibition and Publications
- Museum of the Year
Photos from the Award Ceremony
Winner of the Best Education and Outreach Category
South Tipperary County Museum for the project “Heritage in Schools”
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Marie McMahon, South Tipperary County Museum, Pat Slattery Director of Services, South Tipperary County Council, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive, The Heritage Council, Cllr Tom Ambrose, Chairman South Tipperary County Council, Julia Walsh, South Tipperary County Museum, Declan McGonagle, Chairman of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards & Laobhaise McKenna, Heritage Officer, South Tipperary County Council
Highly Commended in the Best Education and Outreach Category
Kerry County Museum for the project “What's in the box?”
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Eoin Quilter, Kerry County Museum, Claudia Kohler, Kerry County Museum, Griffin Murray Kerry County Museum, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Helen O'Carroll, Kerry County Museum and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards.
Best Collections Care Project
National Museum Northern Ireland- Ulster Museum for decant of their collection
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Jim McGreevy, Ulster Museum, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Joanna Lowe, Ulster Museum, Sean Quinn, Ulster Museum and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards.
Highly Commended in the Best Collections Care Category
Knock Museum for the care of their collections
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, James Campbell and Grace Mulqueen from Knock Museum, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards
Highly Commended in the Best Collections Care Category
Zoological Museum, Trinity College Dublin for the care of their collections
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Dr Martyn Linnie, Curator, Zoological Museum, Trinity College and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards
Best Exhibition or Publication Category
National Museum of Ireland for their exhibition Soliers and Chiefs- The Irish at War at Home and Abroad
- Dr Patrick Wallace, Director, National Museum of Ireland and the staff from the National Museum. Also pictured Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards
Highly commended in the Best Exhibition or Publication Category
Down County Museum for their exhibition "Down through Time"
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Mike King, Curator, Down County Museum and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards.
Highly commended in the Best Exhibition or Publication Category
Derry City Council Heritage & Museum Service- Tower Museum for their exhibition "An Armada Shipwreck- La Trinidad Valencera"
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Bernadette Walsh, Tower Museum, Margaret Edwards, Tower Museum Mayor -Councillor Gerard Diver, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Craig McGuicken, Tower Museum and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards
Best Local Authority Museum
Waterford Museum of Treasures
- L-R Mairin Claridge, Waterford Museum of Treasures, Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Eamonn McEneaney, Director, Waterford Museum of Treasures, Linda Keane, Waterford Museum of Treasures, Bernie Sexton, Waterford Museum of Treasures, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Rosemary Ryan, Waterford Museum of Treasures, Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards and Donnchadh O'Ceallachain, Waterford Museum of Treasures
Highly Commended in the Best Local Authority Museum Category
Down County Museum
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Mike King, Curator, Down County Museum and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards.
Museum of the Year
Kerry County Museum
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, Helen O'Carroll, Curator, Kerry County Museum and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards
High Commendation in the Museum of the Year Category
Knock Museum
- L-R Chris Bailey, Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Mary Duffy, Knock Museum, Pat Lavelle, Knock Shrine, Grace Mulqueen, Knock Museum, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, James Campbell, Knock Museum, Monsignor Joseph Quinn P.P Knock and Declan McGonagle, Chair of the Judging Panel for the Museum Awards.
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