One Floor Open - Two More to Go!!

Brendan and James preparing one of the cases for the 'Dancehall Days' exhibition

Reaction to our new groundfloor exhibitions has been overwhelmingly positive since reopening this week - and we're delighted that the public can once again enter the main body of the Museum and view exhibitions on Prehistoric and Medieval Galway (not to mention our favourite son, Pádraic Ó Conaire!).  But while we may be outwardly serene, work continues at a frantic pace behind the scenes as we prepare to open the next two floors in time for next Tuesday (12th July!).  These floors will host exhibitions on:  Dancing in Salthill, Cinema in Galway, the Arts in Galway, Galway and the Wars of Empire (as we had it before closure), as well as two flagship exhibitions for the arts festival:  Lamb in Connemara (an exhibition of painting by Charles Lamb) and Modern Languages, (an exhibition of craft material).  Our opening hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm, and, of course, it's all free admission!

World Premiere of Pádraic Ó Conaire Animation!

The children of 3rd Class, Claddagh National School, with teacher Seán Leonard, Brendan McGowan of GCM, and Edith Pieperhoff animation artist who helped the children to produce a short animated film based on Pádraic Ó Conaire's famous story, M'asal Beag Dubh.  Click on to this youtube link to view the short film: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO0lDX-Z4yU

This week saw the 'world premiere' of an animation based on Pádraic Ó Conaire's short story M'Asal Beag Dubh (My Little Black Donkey). The animation was the result of a joint project between Galway City Museum and Claddagh National School.

As part of the Museum's People's History of Galway initiative the children of third class were asked to re-imagine and retell Ó Conaire's much-celebrated, comic tale about the author's first encounter with his long-time travelling companion – a little black donkey – purchased at a fair in Kinvara.

Galway City Musuem worked with sound recorder, Maud Hand, and animator, Edith Pieperhoff, to record and pull together the children's unscripted, and often rambling, retelling. The resulting 5 minute video now forms part of a new exhibition around the Ó Conaire monument. It may also be viewed online via youtube: