The Irish Museums Association (IMA) is an

all-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...

professional membership body dedicated to the promotion and development of

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

History

The Irish Museums Association grew out of the Ireland branch of the

International Council of Museums The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1946, I ...

in 1977, established by a voluntary executive committee led by James White, director of the

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland ( ga, Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann) houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on ...

(1964–80), to protect the interests of Irish museums. In 2004, it registered as a operating as a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

company limited by guarantee In British, Australian, Bermudian, Hong Kong and Irish company law (and previously New Zealand), a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily (but not exclusively) for non-profit organisations that require legal pe ...

and hired its first member of staff. Dr Audrey Whitty, head of collections and learning at

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...

is the current chair of the governing board of directors, replacing William Blair, director of collections at National Museums NI in 2020. Former chairs also include Brian Crowley, museum curator at

Kilmainham Gaol Kilmainham Gaol ( ga, Príosún Chill Mhaighneann) is a former prison in Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland. It is now a museum run by the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Government of Ireland. Many Irish revolutionaries, including the leade ...

(2013-2017), Paul Doyle, registrar at

(2011-2013) and Dr Marie Bourke, keeper and head of education at

(2006-2011).

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. Their programme, funded by the

Heritage Council The Heritage Council ( ga, An Comhairle Oidhreachta) is an organisation created by the Irish government to "engage, educate and advocate to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmenta ...

and the

Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ( ga, An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán) is a department of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to promote an ...

, includes professional development, advocacy, research and dissemination strands: annual conferences, publications such as the sectoral journal '' Museum Ireland'' (), relevant training, and original research.

Conferences

The main annual conference takes place each year in a different venue with an overarching theme for the proceedings: * 2021 ''Decolonising the Catalogues''. Online, 19 to 30 November. Contributors included: Dr

Dan Hicks (archaeologist) Dan Hicks, (born 1972) is a British archaeologist and anthropologist. He is Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford, Curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum, and a Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford. His research is fo ...

, Ananda Rutherford, research associate, provisional semantics,

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

Oein DeBhairduin Oein DeBhairduin is an Irish Traveller activist, educator, administrator, and writer. He is the co-founder of LGBT Tara (Traveller and Roma Alliance). Publications In September 2020, DeBhairduin published ''Why the moon travels'', a collection of ...

, and

Miranda Lowe Miranda Constance Lowe is a British museum curator. She is principal curator of crustacea at the Natural History Museum, London and a founder member of Museum Detox. Career She has particular expertise in peracarida and coral taxonomy, and s ...

. * 2020 ''Transforming Museums''. Athlone, 21 to 22 February. Contributors included: Dr Patrick J. Greene (director of

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, located in Dublin's Docklands, covers the history of the Irish diaspora and emigration to other countries. It was designed by the London-based design firm Event Communications, and was voted as "Europe's Leadi ...

), David Anderson (director general, Amgueddfa Cymru), and Simon O'Connor (director of

Museum of Literature Ireland The Museum of Literature Ireland ( ga, Músaem Litríochta na hÉireann), branded MoLI in an homage to Molly Bloom, is a literary museum in Dublin, Ireland. It opened in September 2019. The museum is a partnership between the National Library o ...

). * 2019 ''We are all Engagers''. Cork, 01 to 02 March. Contributors included: Dr Graham Black (professor, School of Arts & Humanities at

Nottingham Trent University Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as a new university in 1992, although its roots go back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design, w ...

), Lynn Scarff (director of the

), and Dr Gillian O'Brien, (reader in Modern Irish history at

Liverpool John Moores University , mottoeng = Fortune favours the bold , established = 1823 – Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts1992 – Liverpool John Moores University , type = Public , endowment = , coor ...

). * 2018 ''Collecting the ‘now’''. Dublin, 10 to 11 May. Contributors included: Finbarr Whooley (director of content at

Museum of London The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall, London, Gui ...

), Kassandra O'Connell (head of the Irish Film Archive at the

Irish Film Institute The Irish Film Institute (IFI; ), formerly the Irish Film Centre, is both an arthouse cinema and a national body that supports Irish film heritage. The IFI presents film festivals, retrospectives and curated seasons, along with independent, ...

), Corinna Gardner (senior curator of design and digital at the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

). * 2017 ''Cultural Tourism and the Contemporary Museum''. Galway, 3 to 4 March. Contributors included: John Concannon (director of Creative Ireland), Michael Day (chief executive of

Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity that manages some of the United Kingdom's unoccupied royal palaces. These are: * Tower of London * Hampton Court Palace * Kensington Palace (State Apartments and Orangery) * The Banqueting Hous ...

), Lee Jolliffe (professor of hospitality and tourism at

University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...

, Canada). * 2016 ''Museums for Society: Towards a Cultural Democracy''. Dublin, 26 to 28 February. Contributors included: Nazia Ali (curator of Collecting Birmingham,

Birmingham Museums Trust Birmingham Museums Trust is the largest independent charitable trust of museums in the United Kingdom. It runs nine museum sites across the city of Birmingham, including Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) and Thinktank, Birmingham Science ...

), Ciarán Benson (professor emeritus of psychology,

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

), Dr. Marie Bourke (museum professional and former keeper and head of education,

). * 2015 ''Museums in Society: Navigating Public Policy''. Belfast, 27 February to 1 March. Contributors included: David Anderson (director general, Amgueddfa Cymru), Rebecca Blake (regeneration and community partnerships coordinator,

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...

), Siebe Weide (director general, Museumvereniging). *2014 ''Museums & Memory: Challenging Histories''. Waterford, 21 to 23 February. Contributors included: Dr Guido Gryseels (director,

Royal Museum of Central Africa The Royal Museum for Central Africa or RMCA ( nl, Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika or KMMA; french: Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale or MRAC; german: Königliches Museum für Zentralafrika or KMZA), also officially known as the AfricaMuse ...

), Catriona Crowe (senior archivist and head of special projects, National Archives of Ireland), Dr Roisin Higgins (senior lecturer in history,

Teesside University , mottoeng = Deeds Not Words , established = 1930 – Constantine Technical College1969 – as Teesside Polytechnic 1992 – gained university status , type = Public , endowment = £0.23 m (2019/20) , chancellor ...

). *2013 ''The Porous Museum: Building Partnerships - Making Connections''. Kilkenny, 22 to 23 February. Contributors included: Dr Brian Kennedy (director,

Toledo Museum of Art The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio. It houses a collection of more than 30,000 objects. With 45 galleries, it covers 280,000 square feet and is currently in th ...

), Dr Vicki Porter (head of discovery and engagement,

The Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome (founder of one of the predecessors of Glaxo ...

), Mark Taylor (director, Museums Association UK). *2012 ''Rising to the Challenge''. Limerick, 24 to 26 February. Contributors included: Julien Anfruns (director general,

), Michael Starrett (chief executive officer,

), Chris Bailey (director, Northern Ireland Museums Council).

References

External links

Irish Museums Association website
{{Authority control Organizations established in 1977 Museum associations and consortia All-Ireland organisations Irish culture

History

Activities

Conferences

See also

References

External links