THE RECESSION has brought an unexpected boom to Ireland’s free cultural attractions with an overall increase in visitor numbers to our museums, galleries and libraries.
There were more than three million visitors to Ireland’s cultural institutions last year, an increase of almost 23,000 on 2008 figures.
The National Gallery of Ireland, the National Concert Hall, the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives and the National Museum (Decorative Arts and History) at Collins Barracks all recorded increases over 2008 visitor figures.
The National Gallery was by far the most popular cultural attraction last year, with 782,469 visitors, an increase of more than 40,000 on 2008 numbers. Its main gallery is free but it charges a fee for certain visiting exhibitions.
The figures were released yesterday by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen.
He said a number of exhibitions, including the Edvard Munch and Thomas Roberts exhibitions at the National Gallery and the Yeats exhibition at the National Library, had undoubtedly contributed to these visitor numbers.
The National Museum at Collins Barracks enjoyed an increase of almost 18,000 in its visitor numbers, bringing its total to 313,790 visitors last year. It has been displaying a selection of exhibits from the closed Natural History Museum on Merrion Street. Mr Cullen said that museum was due to reopen in April.
Some institutions recorded a drop in visitor figures, such as the Irish Museum of Modern Art. It saw a fall of almost 40,000 in its visitor numbers, bringing its total numbers down to 417,706. However, it was closed for a period in January and February last year for maintenance works.
The National Museum of Archaeology on Kildare Street and the Chester Beatty Library also saw a drop in numbers.
Mr Cullen said all these cultural institutions played a significant role in our cultural tourism product. “The exceptional quality and diversity of our museum exhibits, our manuscripts, documents and various artworks on display are critical to the ongoing success of these institutions and serve as a reminder of our national ability to invent, create and inspire.”
