Castleisland Community Museum opened its doors to the public on the pleasant Saturday afternoon at 3pm.
Tea, coffee, biscuits and buns made up the culinary menu for the afternoon as the room at No. 42 Main Street began to fill.
Many people who attended welcomed the project because of what they felt Castleisland holds in heritage and culture in drawers and attics throughout the area.
Promises of donations of items of historical and local significance were made on the day after the tape was cut jointly by Castleisland PP Fr. Mossie Brick and Cllr. Fionnán Fitzgerald, Cathaoirleach Bardasach Oileán Chiarraí agus Corca Dhuibhne and the ceremonial opening was attended by Chairman of Castleisland Chamber Alliance, Michael John Kearney, Cllr. Charlie Farrelly and fellow project founder Eamon Fleming.
Attraction of the Afternoon
Work will be ongoing on the exhibits and on the viewing menu which was the main attraction of the afternoon with so much local interest on show on the wide screen installation.
Fr. Brick blessed the building and everyone in it.
Minister for Education Norma Foley took time out of her busy schedule to visit with Cllr. Anne O’Sullivan. Minister Foley wished the project well into the future before posing for photographs with locals.
Opening Times
The facility will be open from 6:30pm to 9pm from Monday to Friday with special opening times facilitated on request.
Run on a strictly voluntary basis, the facility needs the support of the community to obtain further material of interest and the furniture to secure items of value promised by members of the public on Saturday and since.
The committee wishes to convey its sincere thanks to the McCarthy, Central Bar, family for making the premises available to the project and to the public.
A list of supporters, which is growing since the opening on Saturday’s opening, will be published on the window of the museum in due course.
Talking Shop Status
From the limited experience the committee has had since the opening, the venue is already drifting towards talking shop status.
Locals who drop in on the evenings are bringing their stories and reminiscences of long departed characters who walked the flags, stood at the corners or filled their sweet gallons at the fountain.
That’s exactly the kind of facility the committee hoped it would be and it’s exactly the kind of habit that will fill the walls and the TV screen in the days and months ahead.
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