Grant of €3.32m a 'giant step' towards Crawford Art Gallery revamp

Gallery director Mary McCarthy said that some of its daily figures have now almost recovered to pre-lockdown levels

A €3.32m grant for Cork's Crawford Art Gallery will cover the capital costs of the next stage of its redevelopment. Picture: Denis Minihane

The historic Crawford Art Gallery in Cork has taken a "giant step" towards the delivery of its ambitious €28m revamp.

A €3.32m grant was announced today by Arts and Culture Minister Catherine Martin, to cover the capital costs of the next stage of the project, which will involve consultation with international arts and architectural experts in the preparation of detailed plans, and of the site for redevelopment.

The overall project is designed to enhance, integrate, and protect the buildings on Emmet Place, increase access to exhibitions and to the gallery’s collection, and to safeguard its collection. The specific elements which will follow, pending funding and planning, will include:

• A complete restoration of the gallery’s heritage buildings, and the opening to the public of previously closed rooms and spaces;
• The building of modern storage facilities for works in the national collection, which will facilitate increased access to visitors and researchers;
• The development of a new entrance, through the old Custom House building, onto Emmet Place, which reflects its national, cultural and historical status and importance as a national cultural institution.

Gallery director Mary McCarthy described the funding approval as a “giant step forward” to help it realise the development plans.

“We recognise the artists’ and public's need for an enhanced and improved facility and we want to ensure our heritage buildings are restored to a quality that will, in turn, ensure they can continue to be great places of creative exchange,” she said.

“These capital works are essential to ensure Crawford Art Gallery can meet local, national, and international visitors' diverse needs into the future and ensure the best possible experience for audiences and communities.

We are delighted to receive approval today to move our @CrawfordArtGall project on. Huge thanks to all who collaborated so far, the @DeptAHG @opwireland @CorkETB and our teams.@cathmartingreen @MichealMartinTD 🙏 https://t.co/fXKRU4pSUS

— mary mccarthy (@MARYMCCARTHY001) September 25, 2020

“The project will ensure these unique buildings of great heritage interest will be restored and enhanced for future generations, and it allows for the collection to be expanded and more accessible.” 

The gallery had seen record visitor numbers pre-Covid-19 with 265,000 visitors coming through its doors last year — a 30% increase on the previous year. 

Ms McCarthy said that some of its daily figures have now almost recovered to pre-lockdown levels.

Through Project Ireland 2040, the Government is investing €460m in Ireland's national cultural institutions to revamp and modernise their facilities.