All silent at Ledwidge Museum as Covid hits Meath culture bodies

It’s a sign of the strange times we live in that the all the chairperson of the Francis Ledwidge Museum at Slane can do is look through  its locked gates at the bluebells in full bloom in the garden.
Terry Wogan said that everything is eerily quiet save for the birdsong and the rustling of leaves on the pathway. The museum and the beautiful garden space, which is such an attraction to visitors, has remained closed since Friday 13th March. “Over two months later, we can only ruefully reflect on the devastating impact that the lockdown has had on the museum”, he said.

That impact of Covid-19 has been widely felt in Meath where several cultural organisations have been badly hit by the crisis. Just a few days ago, I reported on the fact that the Office of Public Works will close off access to the chamber at Newgrange when the complex reopens in July. Access to the exterior of the mound and the visitor centre will be allowed, however. The restrictions are somewhat of a setback for Newgrange where access to the 5,000-year-old chamber is seen as a highlight of a visit there. The complex would normally have 5-6,000 visitors a week at this time of year (about 300,000 annually). Clare Tuffy of the Office of Public Works says that normal maintenance is taking place at the centre but it remains closed now for a number of weeks more.

Newgrange is currently closed to visitors.

Back at the Ledwidge Museum, Terry Wogan recalls that around the time of the introduction of the national lockdown, the volunteer museum committee had been looking forward to the St Patrick’s weekend which always saw many visitors and which was in many ways the start of the visitor season. “We were about to ramp up preparations for our primay schools poetry recital competition but this became the first of our planned events to be cancelled. Thanks to the teachers in local schools, the competition presents an opportunity to introduce children to the poetry of Francis Ledwidge and create an awareness of one of the great literary figures of Co Meath”.

The Francis Ledwidge Museum at Slane.

The guides at the museum, Paul, Anne and Catriona offer a warm welcome and engage enthusiastically with visitors to Ledwidge’s original cottage home, and now museum in his memory. The poet died on 31st July 1917 in the First World War.

Unfortunately, although the  museum is grant-aided by Meath County Council, the income stream provided by visitors to keep the museum going on a day-by-day basis has been wiped out. During May and June, the museum normally welcomes school and coach tour groups from around the country. Terry Wogan said that the very real concern for the museum committee is that not only have all bookings made by groups up to the end of July been lost but it is very hard to see if such group visits will be organised by any groups or societies at all this year. Reduced capacity on coaches to maintain social distancing make it unlikely that such groups can come. Another highlight of the year at Janeville (location of the museum) is Ledwidge Day which typically takes place on the last Sunday in July. All plans for it this year have had to be shelved.  That was the most important single source of income.

On a more positive note, Terry Wogan says that plans are being formulated for a reopening of the museum on 20th July. “The negative impact of lockdown on the museum is undeniable and the consequences will only become more apparent in the months ahead. We can only hope that we can come through it all with the support of the public and in particular the support of tourist partners and local authorities, that we will survive and look forward to brighter days ahead”. One silver cloud on a rather dull outlook was the celebration of the 90th birthday of Joe Ledwidge, Slane resident and nephew of the poet . Watch out for an article about Joe in Ireland’s Own shortly.

Another organisation which has been badly hit by the Covid crisis is the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society which has 450 members. It has had to suspended all meetings, including its annual general meeting. Its annual outing, a much-looked-forward-to event in the society’s calendar, has also gone by the board. According to Julitta Clancy, a long-standing member of the committee, a talk scheduled for July has had to be suspended and at this stasge it looks like it will be Septmber before it reviews its position on lectures and talks. “We try to keep in touch with members whom we would be concerned about. The cancellation of our events is a huge disappointment who were really looking forward to getting together. We can only look forward to the day when we come back with all our meetings and events”.