New Showcases Arrive to Transform Groundfloor!

Some of the new showcases being put on to the groundfloor by the lads from Click Netherfield.  These cases will hold material from the National Museum, relating to Prehistoric Galway.

Yesterday marked the arrival of some new showcases for the groundfloor, from Click Netherfield.  These cases will hold the artefacts that are coming on loan from the National Museum - with objects relating to prehistoric and medieval Galway, so they are to the highest standard both from a security and aesthetic point of view.  While we already had some showcases on site, we needed to order more because of the amount of new objects coming on loan. 

These cases will transform the Museum's groundfloor.  This time around we've opted for a good few smaller cases, in order to position them mid-floor and give the visitor a good look at some fine samples (just as some Museums around the world highlight some prehistoric axe heads, or medieval pottery, or maybe in our case some medieval wine bottles which serve to highlight Galway's  trading links with France and Spain in the Middle Ages).

Ríona Egan, from Galway City Museum, with an example of a medieval wine bottle, which will form part of our 'wine collection' on the ground floor.  Galway traded extensively with France and Spain in the middle ages and consequently grew to be one of the wealthiest places in Ireland - some of Galway's merchants (Tribes) owned storehouses elsewhere in the country, from which they sold wine, imported from the continent, to towns around Ireland.

Why are showcases important?
They protect precious objects (these showcases can be separately alarmed).
The climate within these cases can be measured (very important when dealing with precious artefacts that can be affected by the surrounding climate).
They allow us to highlight objects (objects are mounted in cases that suit display).