The Irish Museums Association (IMA) is an all-Ireland professional membership body dedicated to the promotion and development of museums.[1]

Purpose and activities

The IMA aims to support the Irish museum sector through activities that highlight the value of collections and the contribution of museums to society as places of learning, conservation, research, and interpretation.[2] Their programme, funded by the Heritage Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, includes professional development, advocacy, research and dissemination strands: [3] annual conferences, publications such as the sectoral journal Museum Ireland (ISSN 0961-9690), relevant training,[4] and original research.[5]

History

The Irish Museums Association grew out of the Ireland branch of the International Council of Museums in 1977,[6] established by a voluntary executive committee led by James White, director of the National Gallery of Ireland (1964–80), to protect the interests of Irish museums.[7] In 2004, it registered as a operating as a non-profit company limited by guarantee and hired its first member of staff.[8]

Leadership

Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland and previously Deputy Director and Head of Collections and Learning at the National Museum of Ireland, is the current chair of the governing board of directors,[9] succeeding William Blair, Director of Collections at National Museums NI in 2020. Former chairs also include Brian Crowley, museum curator at Kilmainham Gaol (2013-2017), Paul Doyle, registrar at the National Museum of Ireland (2011-2013) and Dr Marie Bourke, keeper and head of education at the National Gallery of Ireland (2006-2011).[10]


Conferences

The main annual conference takes place each year in a different venue with an overarching theme for the proceedings:

See also

References

  1. "Our Work with Others". Heritage Council of Ireland. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  2. "Museum Associations". www.corkcity.ie. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  3. "About Us". www.irishmuseums.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  4. "Museum Education". www.gradireland.com. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  5. "Irish Museums Survey 2016 quietly encouraging". The Irish Times. Dublin. 2016-12-31. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  6. Cooke, Pat (2021). The Politics and Polemics of Culture in Ireland, 1800–2010. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781003099352.
  7. Ireland, Aileen M. (2002). "The Irish Museums Association - The first 25 years". Museum Ireland. 12. ISSN 0961-9690.
  8. Bourke, Marie (2008). "The Irish Museums Association - 32 Years On". Museum Ireland. 18. ISSN 0961-9690.
  9. "Management Committee". National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  10. "History". www.irishmuseums.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
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