New branding for museum – but no wheelchair access

A BRAND identity, as well as a new logo, signage and brochures are to be created for Kinsale Museum, despite the fact that it remains inaccessible to wheelchair visitors.

Cork County Council took over the full management of the museum last October, which was previously run by volunteers from Kinsale and the surrounding areas.

A Council spokesperson said that a full-time museum assistant now ensures the museum can remain open full-time all year.

‘The museum is being managed from pre-existing expertise within the Council. This is to create a consistency of standards across Council heritage sites, which has been successful elsewhere, such as Michael Collins Museum and Skibbereen Heritage Centre.’

There is a long-term plan in place to develop, improve and restore the museum over the coming months and years, and this includes a new Battle of Kinsale audio-visual display, which has been installed for this season.

The downstairs of the museum has been re-arranged with new interactive pieces, improved lighting and aesthetics. Further interpretive boards and displays will also be installed.

The museum’s front of house reception area and back office has been refurbished and a small souvenir ‘tuck’ shop will be opened soon.

The Council is also in the process of repairing the clock and bell and generally getting the museum back up and running. Other works have also taken place with upgrades to security and health and safety systems, as well as general repair and cleaning.

Lighting throughout the museum has been upgraded to low voltage LED lighting which, while also more efficient and economical, is also safer for artefacts on display.

Exterior colour-changing LED lights have also been installed to light up the museum in different colours to suit occasions such as St Patrick’s Day. Staff have been working to improve artefact storage facilities, re-organise, carry out condition reporting and cataloguing of the museum’s collection.

Volunteers also play a central part of the museum and the Council are working on a ‘Friends of Kinsale Museum’ programme, which will welcome volunteers to be involved in the museum, both the volunteers who were involved in running the museum previously, and new volunteers.

Work has already been carried out to create the new brand identity for the museum, with a new logo, signage, brochures, social media and website in the pipeline.

Kinsale Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm for the summer season.

But a councillor has pointed out that the museum needs to be wheelchair-accessible if it wants to encourage visitors of all abilities to visit the facility.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) raised the issue at a meeting of Corik County Council.

‘Kinsale town is noted for being very wheelchair-friendly, but the one thing I have brought up over and over again, and I’m blue in the face from repeating, is the fact that the museum is not wheelchair-friendly,’ said Cllr Murphy.

‘It is a listed building and there has to be some proposal going forward to ensure access can be got to upstairs. There is nothing downstairs and it’s all upstairs.’

Cllr Murphy said he has tried to raise it many times but has been ‘kicked to touch’ on the issue. He called on the Council to write directly to those involved to come up with a solution.

‘There’s a method of doing it and there’s always a solution to everything,’ he said.

He previously suggested installing a lift outside the museum but was told by Council officials that the cost of an outdoor lift would be prohibitive.

Cllr Sean O’Donovan (FF) supported the call and said because it’s a public building, there is a onus on them to let everyone come in.

‘I agree that we should write to the Department and get this sorted once and for all,’ said Cllr O’Donovan.