Framework for Museums and Galleries in Ireland

Museums and galleries play a vital role in preserving, interpreting and sharing Ireland's cultural heritage.

The Heritage Council is developing a Framework for Museums and Galleries in Ireland to help shape the future direction of the sector and identify priorities for support and development.

A Working Group has been established to guide this work. This page will provide information on the development of the Framework and will be updated as the work progresses.

Overview

The Heritage Council's strategic plan, Our Place in Time: Heritage Council Strategic Plan 2023–2028, commits to the development of a strategic framework for the museums and galleries sector; a commitment made in the context of the Council's ambitions for Ireland as an international exemplar in cultural heritage stewardship and professional museological practice.

The Heritage Council is committed to developing and delivering a five to seven-year sector-informed strategic framework, which will articulate strategic priorities and proposed actions, while also identifying best practice approaches to practically implement the recommendations.

This framework will be supported by a fully costed implementation plan, which will identify actions that the Heritage Council can lead or progress, actions that may be undertaken by sectoral partners on a voluntary basis, and broader sectoral aspirations that may require further discussion, resourcing, or collaboration.

Aims and Objectives

The overall objective and expected outcome of this Working Group is to develop a Heritage Council Framework for Museums and Galleries in Ireland, supported by a fully costed implementation plan by Q1 2027. The Working Group will devise a plan of work to structure the work of the group.

The Working Group will:

• Consult with the constituent stakeholders of the museums and galleries sector to provide a clear statement of the national vision for museums and galleries, and a clear statement of the priorities for the development and support of museums and galleries.
• Advise the Heritage Council on the development of a Heritage Council Framework for Museums and Galleries in Ireland and an implementation plan to support its delivery.
• Support the Heritage Council in engaging with a relevant and broad cross-section of the museums and galleries sector in the development and delivery of the Framework and implementation plan.
• Gather and review the necessary evidence, which may require the commissioning of original research, to inform the development of the Framework.
• Ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation is built into the Framework and implementation plan to ensure progress against delivery is adequately and appropriately assessed and reported.

Working Group and Next Steps

The Working Group to steer the development and delivery of the Framework was established at the end of 2025. To date, three meetings (January, April and June 2026) have taken place.

The next steps are to establish two sub-groups to initiate work packages in the areas of research and sector and stakeholder consultation. Engagement with Museums Galleries Scotland on Scotland's Museums and Galleries Strategy 2023–2030 will also take place.

Updates on the Working Group will be published on this page as they become available.

Working Group Membership

John Ball
Head of Culture Policy, Department of Communities, Northern Ireland

Orla Carroll
Director of Product Development, Fáilte Ireland

Mary Heffernan
Senior Cultural Heritage Manager, Office of Public Works (OPW)

Elizabeth Crooke
Professor of Museum and Heritage Studies, Ulster University

Ben Crothers
Naughton Gallery, Curator & Collections Manager, Queen's University Belfast

Orlaith Lochrin
Assistant Principal, Department of Culture, Communications and Sport

Mike Fitzpatrick
Dean (Retired), Limerick School of Art and Design, TUS

Margaret Lantry
University Curator, University College Cork

Sinéad McCartan
Chair of Working Group

Judith McCarthy
LAMN Representative and Curator, Donegal County Museum

Heather McGuicken
Director, Northern Ireland Museums Council

Griffin Murray
Head of Department of Archaeology, University College Cork

Patricia O'Hare
Heritage Council Member and Muckross House Representative

Gina O'Kelly
Director, Irish Museums Association

Sheila Pratschke
Heritage Council Member

Helen Shenton
Librarian and College Archivist, Trinity College Dublin

Alan Smyth
Assistant Principal, National Built Heritage Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Gordon Bond
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Jenny Haslett
Education Manager, National Museums Northern Ireland

Virginia Teehan
CEO, Heritage Council

Further Information

For further information, please contact: Aalia Kamal, Cultural and Inclusive Heritage Officer, at akamal@heritagecouncil.ie.