- The Irish Heritage Trust maintained MSPI accreditation for Fota House, Cork, and the Irish Agricultural Museum at Johnstown Castle, Wexford
- The MSPI Maintenance of Accreditation Award was presented in Dublin at Croke Park Stadium
- Fota House was first awarded full MSPI accreditation in 2016 and the Irish Agricultural Museum in 2021
- The Irish Agricultural Museum includes vintage farm machinery, traditional trade tools and historic country furniture
- The Museum Standards Programme for Ireland was established by the Heritage Council in 2006
The Irish Heritage Trust has successfully maintained Museum Standards Programme for Ireland accreditation for both Fota House, Cork, and the Irish Agricultural Museum at Johnstown Castle, Wexford. The achievement reflects the Trust’s sustained investment in the care and protection of its collections and in delivering museum experiences for visitors. The MSPI Maintenance of Accreditation Award was presented in Dublin at an event hosted by the Heritage Council of Ireland at Croke Park Stadium, alongside other cultural institutions from across Ireland.
Maintaining MSPI accreditation requires museums to demonstrate ongoing compliance with professional standards, spanning collections management and care, governance, documentation, conservation, exhibitions, education and visitor services. The Irish Heritage Trust, an independent non-profit organisation, was first awarded full MSPI accreditation for its historic sites, Fota House in 2016 and the Irish Agricultural Museum in 2021, and has kept up the standards to maintain ever since. An integral part of Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum and Gardens, the Irish Agricultural Museum brings together a collection of objects and stories that reveal the realities of rural life in Ireland over the centuries. Its collections include vintage farm machinery, traditional trade tools, historic country furniture and kitchen exhibits, offering insights into family life, work and community from the 18th century onwards.
Since taking ownership of the house in 2007, the Irish Heritage Trust has led a programme of conservation and restoration at Fota House, bringing historic rooms, gardens and glasshouses back to life. Alongside this visible work, the Trust undertakes the ongoing professional care, documentation and management required to safeguard the house and its nationally important collections. The Museum Standards Programme for Ireland was established by the Heritage Council in 2006 to benchmark and promote professional standards in the care and management of collections and to recognise achievement across the Irish museum sector.
Emma O’Toole shared “Maintaining MSPI accreditation reflects the Trust’s ongoing commitment to the professional care, documentation and protection of our collections, which are of local and national importance. It represents a significant investment of staff expertise, time and resources, and the MSPI programme helps us continually strengthen the systems, skills and knowledge needed to safeguard these collections and make them accessible to the public. Our dedicated Irish Heritage Trust volunteers also make an important contribution to this work, sharing their time and supporting our staff in caring for and sharing our collections.”
