County Museum looks forward to looking back
The museum commissioned two historical short films, 'A Letter from The Trenches' and 'The Messenger'
Despite been forced to close their doors to visitors during the pandemic, the team at Cavan County Museum continued to adapt and find innovative new ways of engaging with their audiences. It remained committed to bringing history to life.
The museum commissioned the production of two historical short films, 'A Letter from The Trenches' and 'The Messenger' directed by local filmmaker Alan Bradley and filmed on location at Cavan County Museum’s exhibition spaces.
For this work, Cavan County Museum won the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2021 for Commemorations & Centenaries. Additionally, they published three complimentary booklets on their WW1, 1916 Rising and War of Independence exhibitions, all available for free in the museum.
The museum delivered various workshops, events and launched numerous art and photographic exhibitions throughout the year all while adhering to COVID-19 health guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
Gary Martin, acting curator at Cavan County Museum, explained: “We installed new exhibitions such as ‘Museum of Broken Things’ and our Railway exhibition. We enhanced our existing indoor spaces such as our Famine Gallery and our outdoors spaces, WW1 Trench and 1916 Rising Experiences, by installing a state-of-the-art surround sound system enriching the visitor experience. We worked in partnership with CAPS (Cavan Autism Parents Group) to develop a sensory garden within the museum grounds, with this interactive, colourful space being specially designed to facilitate children with different needs.”
Additionally, information panels were installed along The Nuns’ Walk exploring the local flora and fauna of the area with the addition of lights along the path, further enhancing this local community outdoor amenity.
Extensive refurbishment works were undertaken on the museum building enhancing its overall aesthetic providing a fresh inviting welcome.
A lasting legacy
In 2021, after 22 years, museum curator Savina Donohoe retired. Savina’s contribution to the cultural sector in County Cavan is immeasurable, with her dedication and passion making the museum one of the main tourist attractions in the county.
After a challenging few years for the cultural sector and tourism, the museum and its staff are even more committed to developing and improving their collections and exhibitions to continually enhance the visitor experience: “As we move into 2022 and reach the end of Decade of Centenaries, we are dedicated to providing visitors with a sense of our county’s heritage and past and Cavan’s role in our nation’s history,” the acting curator told.
Gary concluded: “We look forward to what next year and the future will bring. On behalf of Cavan County Museum and its staff, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and happy New Year. We look forward to your continued support and encouragement for 2022 and beyond.”