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Minister announces the commencement of the detailed design phase for the major redevelopment of the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, today announced her approval for the commencement of the design phase of the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History redevelopment project. This is a flagship project in the Minister’s programme of investments under the National Development Plan, which will see many of our much-loved National Cultural Institutions restored, renewed and future-proofed for generations to come.  A particular focus of the project at the Natural History Museum is to address long-standing issues with accessibility, to conserve the historic building fabric, and to enhance the visitor experience to tell important stories of our biodiversity and to showcase the unique heritage building.

 

Commenting on this phase of the project, Minister Martin, said:

“Today is an extremely significant day for the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) as the National Museum of Ireland - Natural Historymoves to the next phase of this important project under our National Development Plan.  The National Museum of Ireland - Natural History occupies a unique place in our cultural landscape and, for me, is growing in importance in terms of the stories the collection tells about our biodiversity.

 

“I welcome the work of the National Museum of Ireland - Natural Historyin using the natural history collection for biodiversity research, including the establishing of a baseline for Ireland’s biodiversity and in increasing awareness of the biodiversity crisis and climate change.”

 

Commenting on the planning application, Chair of the National Museum of Ireland, Catherine Heaney, said:

“The National Museum of Ireland - Natural History site is a much loved and cherished part of our cultural heritage. This investment enables the NMI to take the refurbishment project to the next stage, which will allow for greater accessibility to the building and collection as well as a much improved visitor experience. One hundred and sixty five years since this museum first opened its doors, these collections continue to intrigue and excite visitors of all ages. This work will enable greater engagement with some of the most important global challenges including biodiversity loss and climate change.

 

The National Museum of Ireland - Natural History occupies a unique space on Merrion Square and is part of the wider historic campus incorporating the Houses of the Oireachtas, the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, the National Gallery of Ireland and Government Buildings. The project is being progressed by the National Museum of Ireland, in partnership with the OPW, and the tender process to appoint a design team to deliver this next phase of the project will launch in 2023.

 

ENDS 

 

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Additional Notes:

 

Following the approval provided by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History redevelopment project now moves to the commencement of the design phase of the process.  This phase of the project is being delivered by a partnership between the National Museum of Ireland and the Office of Public Works, and the tender process to appoint a Design Team to deliver this next phase of the project will be launched in 2023. This stage of the project will deliver the following:

  • A comprehensive refurbishment of the Museum which will meet best practise sustainability and environmental control standards;
  • Improved collections care, collections management and stewardship;
  • Address accessibility issues including lifts, internal staircases and upper balcony areas;
  • Create additional education, exhibition and multi-functional spaces within the historic building;
  • Protect and restore the historic building fabric and enhance compliance with fire, health and safety regulations.

This project is in addition to the OPW project to conserve and restore the roof of the building and which has been facilitated by the recent decant of some of the collections, including the iconic whale skeletons.

The National Museum of Ireland - Natural History plays an important role in showcasing Ireland’s unique biodiversity, including signalling the challenges to our biodiversity arising from climate change. The National Museum of Ireland - Natural History is the ‘original biobank’ as the main repository for Ireland’s fauna and geological specimens.  Its collections span zoological, geological and thousands of fossilised plants.  The collection also includes an extensive volume of paper records related to natural history which, coupled with the physical specimens, can inform us about what has been lost or gained over time in Ireland, providing an essential long-term view of our biodiversity through which we can better understand the current crisis.

 

The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History reopened its ground floor in August 2022 following works to decant the collections in the upper floors.  Capacity is currently limited to the ground floor only and this can lead to long queues especially during busy weekends.   Visitors are advised, where possible to visit mid-week when it will be less busy.