New building at the museum due for completion in March 2016 bmcb 13
THE upgrade work at Fermanagh County Museum is on schedule and the new £3 million revamped centre at Enniskillen Castle should be open in time for the new tourist season early next year.
No date has been set for completion of the project yet, however manager of Museum Services Sarah McHugh said museum staff were very excited at how work was progressing, and explained the finished project would encompass all the community principles the museum has been keen to promote down through the years.
While the Inniskillings Museum, also located at the Castle, remains open along with Maguire displays on the ground floor, the County Museum has been closed for several months to allow the massive upgrade project to be carried out. When it opens again early in 2016, the museum will include a new visitors centre, cafe, shop, three new galleries, a new History Hub, interpretative and interactive features, and refurbished facilities. As before, the museum will focus on the county’s history, culture and natural heritage.
“It’s everyone’s museum,” said Ms McHugh. “We are a county museum and it’s all about building and maintaining links with the wider community.
“Since we’ve been closed it’s actually been a very busy period. The closure has enabled us to do different things across the county. We’ve continued with our schools education programmes, and we’ve been doing an outreach programme during the closure and holding exhibitions elsewhere such as at the Townhall in Enniskillen and at the Ardhowen. We’ve also been putting collections out and about, and maintaining those vital links with the local community.”
Whenever the project, which has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Tourism NI, is completed Ms McHugh said it would be an even more vital resource to the local community.
“For example, we will have public access to our archives for the first time. The archives, which contain maps, photographs, letters, and other documents, will be online but it’s lovely for people to be able to come in and see the hard copies,” she said.
Ms McHugh explained the museum would be a “hub” for locals and visitors alike, and the team worked closely with others throughout the county such as the Fermanagh Genealogy Centre.
“It’s all about sign posting people where they can find what they’re looking for, and encouraging people to get out there and explore our rich history and heritage,” she said. “We’re very fortunate to have great volunteers on board, with all their local knowledge and expertise.”
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