Marcon has been appointed to carry out the interpretive fit-out of the new Pearse Cultural Centre Connemara (Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh Conamara ) at Pearse’s Cottage, Ros Muc, Co Galway, a popular tourist attraction overlooking the breathtaking lakes and mountains of Connemara. The famous cottage was used by Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising, as a summer residence and summer school for his pupils from St Enda’s in Dublin.
The project funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Fáilte Ireland will house exhibitions, meeting areas for education groups, an interactive audio visual space, a multipurpose area, and a café. Working with leading interpretive designers Bright, Marcon will complete the fit-out of the exhibition space utilising its in house specialist joinery workshop. Within the exhibition Marcon will carry out the manufacture and installation of joinery elements and coordinate the display cases, interactives, audio visual, and graphic installation. The exhibition will be the main attraction within the centre and the audio visual elements combining with other display media to form the core of the venue’s interpretive scheme.
Martin McErlean, contracts manager, Marcon comments; “We are really excited to be playing such a key role in the opening of the new visitor centre at Pearse’s Cottage. The new centre will provide introduction to Irish language and Gaeltacht culture along with being a community hub and destination for visitors to Co Galway. Our heritage team will be using its experience of completing other culturally significant museum and exhibition projects to ensure that the new centre will be of the highest standard of finish.”
Harry Fisher, project director at Bright adds, “Bright are pleased to be working with Marcon who have shown a very professional approach to our project and the quality of their build is excellent.”
Breandan Breathnach, head of property, Údarás na Gaeltachta concludes; “We are delighted to have had an opportunity to bring this project to fruition, one of the few all weather visitor attractions on the Wild Atlantic Way. We now have a unique contemporary visitor centre built to the highest standards which will be a hub for locals and visitors, celebrating the richness of our Gaeltacht culture and the beautiful Connemara landscape.”
The new centre aims to become a hub for celebrating Irish as a contemporary living language and the Gaeltacht culture while highlighting the Connemara region’s outstanding natural beauty. It will also provide expanded interpretation about Patrick Pearse. The centre aims to meet the needs of the local community for social and learning opportunities the wider community.
Marcon has been responsible for the fit-out of a number of iconic museums and exhibitions over the past number of years, namely Titanic Belfast, Down County Museum, Navan Fort, Carrickfergus Castle, Derry’s Guildhall, Gobbin’s Path Visitor Centre, and the recently opened and much anticipated Seamus Heaney Home Place in Bellaghy.
