Museum volunteers vow to bring history to life

VOLUNTEERS setting up a museum in an ancient city fort have promised to bring history to life.

Two groups of re-enactors have come together to help establish the admission-free museum in the 17th century Elizabeth Fort in the historic Barracks Street area of Cork.

The Elizabeth Fort Museum will open initially on weekends only and will be staffed entirely by volunteers.

It will feature a number of permanent displays explaining the development of the city from its Hiberno-Norse origins up to the present day. It will have an ancient warfare display, with exhibits from the Greek and Roman Classical periods right up to Medieval times.

It will have a Garda museum, featuring uniforms and equipment dating from the foundation of the force, and it will host themed weekends and visiting displays.

But unlike traditional museums, this tourist centre will feature a full living-history experience – with re-enactors dressed in full period costume welcoming visitors to the site.

Some 100 people visit the fort every Saturday. It is due to officially open on the May Bank Holiday weekend with two days of historical re-enactment and activity at the fort to celebrate.

There will be re-enactors dressed in 1st to 19th century costumes and a full 10th century Hiberno-Norse and 12th century Anglo-Norman living history encampments.

There will be demonstrations of ancient arms and combat through the ages and tours of the historic Barracks Street and South Main Street areas.

The event will be open to the public from 11am to 4.30pm on both May 1 and 2.

Martin McAree is a member of Legion Ireland – a Roman army re-enactment group who along with US Civil War re-enactors, The Pards, led by Bertie MacCurtain, helped set up the museum with the support of the Elizabeth Fort Heritage group, and the Garda Siochána, who have a station located inside the fort.

Mr McAree said the fort is one of the city’s historical gems.

“This is a fantastic facility but it is not being utilised properly,” he said.

“This new museum will be a win win for everybody. We hope that as well as adding a tourist attraction, the new museum will let local businesses leverage from the fort and museum.

“We hope it will help the local economy and highlight the fact that the street needs development.”

Local Cllr Mick Finn, a member of Elizabeth Fort Heritage, welcomed the development.

“This is something that we have been campaigning for for some time,” he said.

“This is the start of what we would see as the opening up of the fort for public use.”

Mr Finn invited anyone interested in the fort’s tourism potential to attend a meeting at 7.30pm tonight in the RiverLee Hotel (formerly Jury’s).

The two re-enactment groups have provided the funding to establish the museum. They are hopeful of securing public funding later in the year.

From May 2, the facility will be open every Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4.30pm. It will be free but donations are welcome.