Ledwidge Museum visitor numbers on the rise
The number of visitors to the Ledwidge Museum in Slane is on the rise and there are hopes that more groups will book in for the coming year, the annual general meeting of the organisation was told. The museum welcomes individual visitors but it also attracts school and college groups, historical societies, retirement groups, its Chairperson Terry Wogan said. It welcomed school groups on Poetry Day Ireland and also had a visit from students at Dundalk IT.
In his chairperson’s report Mr Wogan outlined details of the museum society’s activities. He thanked Slane Community Forum and Brown Forman/Slane Distillery for their ongoing support with a donation of €4,290.61 last March. “We acknowledge Brown Forman for their recognition of th historical and cultural importance of the museum and our efforts in preserving the legacy of Francis Ledwidge”, the chairperson said. That grant helped the museum committee to carry out repairs and conservation work on the museum and also with landscaping and planting in the garden. and this year saw it donate €22,000, an increase of €2,000 on the previous year.
The museum received a €1,000 arts grant from Meath County Council Arts Office following a successful application. The museum receives an annual grant from the council. Mr Wogan said that the grant in 2022 had been €8,000 and the recent dramatic increase made “a huge difference to our
working budget and greatly helps to meet increasing overheads and running costs”. The museum itself, part of the Slane community, made a donation of €500 donation to Slane Tidy Towns Group towards its work. The Ledwidge Day festivities on 27 th July went off very well, with kind weather conditions helping.
A great friend and benefactor of the museum, a relative of the poet now living in Balbriggan has been participating in a research project and has been corresponding with the Library of Congress in Washington. Pat presented a copy of “Francis Ledwidge, His Short Life – a compilation of his correspondence with Professor Lewis Chase PhD to the Ledwidge Museum chairperson. Others who participated in the Ledwidge Day festivities included Francis Duffy, Navan, Terry McHugh Drogheda,
Paddy Reilly, Brian McIvor and Stephen Moloney, and readers of poetry. Once again Meath County Council came forward with grant assistance for the day.
The museum was represented at the Royal British Legion commemoration and wreath laying at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge, Dublin on 12 th July. Various committee members attended the performance For the Love of Ledwidge on the Boyne Greenway at Wilkinstown on 13 th and 14 th September last.
The chairperson said that last year had seen a return to general maintenance works at the museum, an ongoing task because of the age of the building (1886). He thanked committee members Colm Yore and Paul Mongey for their assistance in addressing issues as they arise.
The Garden at the museum has been a hive of activity and great voluntary assistance was provided by Rose Maye. Major project works were carried out in the garden and a lot of pruning and cutting back had to be done, excellently executed by Hanley Tree Surgeons, Athboy.
Over the Christmas period Joe Matthews helped to renovate the kitchen and panel room at the museum. The election of officers for the coming year resulted as follows – Chairperson Terry Wogan; Vice- Chairperson Irene Carolan; Treasurer Paul Mongey; Vice-Treasurer Colm Yore; Secretary Paul Murphy; Vice-Secretary Christine Reilly.
