Knock Shrine

Knock Museum was one of three museums to be awarded Full Accreditation in the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland at a ceremony in Dublin on May 18th making it one of a select group of seven museums in Ireland to be awarded this status. The programme acknowledges standards of excellence in all areas of museum practice including Care of Collections, Visitor Services, Exhibition and Education. Curator of Knock Museum, Grace Mulqueen said that full accreditation is a major achievement for any museum and especially for Knock Museum being one of the first museums in Ireland to reach these standards of excellence. She complemented her dedicated staff at the museum and thanked the museum’s governing body for their on-going support and commitment.    

Knock Museum also scooped two national awards in the ‘Museum of the Year Awards’ ceremony which again were held on May 18th to coincide with International Museums Day. The Awards, which were hosted by the Heritage Council in partnership with the Northern Ireland Museums Council, highlight and celebrate the achievements of museums and collections both North and South. Knock Museum won the ‘highly commended’ award in the overall 2009 Museum of the Year’, category making it one of the top two museums in the country. “It was a surprise and honour to win this award which had over seventy entries from museums across the republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland,” said Ms. Mulqueen.    

Knock Museum also won an award in the ‘Caring for Collections’ category for overall commitment to Care of Collections. This award recognises ongoing preventive conservation measures together with overall care of collections. James Campbell, Conservation Technician at Knock Museum said “The achievement of this award acknowledges progressive improvements in Best Collections Care including: Documentation, storage systems, exhibition, preventive conservation measures, staff training and professional conservation of priority objects.”    

Knock Museum tells the unique story of what happened in a small rural village in 1879 and yet impacted on millions of people ever since. The museum is open daily 10-6pm.

Contact Details:
Tel. (094) 93 75034
Email: museum@knock-shrine.ie
Website: www.knock-shrine.ie

Left – Right: Chris Bailey, Director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, Mary Duffy, Museum Assistant, Knock Museum,  Pat Lavelle, Assistant Manager, Knock Shrine,  Grace Mulqueen, Curator, Knock Museum, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council,  James Campbell, Conservation Technician, Knock Museum,  Monsignor Joseph Quinn, P.P. Knock and Adm. Knock Shrine, Professor Declan McGonagle, Director of the National College of Art and Design