Arklow Maritime Museum launches appeal for new committee members

Arklow Maritime Museum has launched an appeal for new committee members to help with ongoing projects and policy-making to support what has become an invaluable and beloved resource for the community and tourists alike.

A treasure trove of memories, artefacts and odes to Arklow’s rich seafaring past, the museum has doubled in size over the past few years, developing a very successful schools programme and seeing its annual visitor numbers increase tenfold.

The museum has a fantastic team of staff, supplied by ABEC and TÚS, who carry out all the day-to-day tasks that keep the museum open and thriving 361 days a year – that is, open seven days a week including bank holidays, and closed only on New Year’s Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day.

As chair of the Arklow Maritime Museum Jim Rees explained, all this increased activity has put a strain on the small voluntary committee that runs it and, as such, they have put out a call to anyone who feels they can help plan its future.

“We need help with ongoing projects, plan future policies and smoothly run what has essentially become a small not-for-profit community enterprise,” Jim said.

“Strange as it may seem, a knowledge of, or even an interest in history, local or otherwise, is not essential. Right now, it is organisational and business skills that are most required.

“We need new committee members to help us plan policy, chase funding and to generally get us to the next stage of our development.

“We are members of the Irish Museums Association of Ireland and have embarked on getting full Museum Accreditation Standard from the Heritage Council of Ireland.

“Anyone, particularly anyone with business or management experience, willing to volunteer a few hours a month should contact us at 0402 91863 or email [email protected]

“Arklow Maritime Museum will be open 50 years in 2026. Help us plan for the next fifty!”

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