Bookcase belonging to Charles Stewart Parnell among items damaged at National Museum

Ken Foxe

Historic objects damaged at Ireland’s National Museum included a bookcase thought to belong to Charles Stewart Parnell, a frog that got dried out, and a candelabra that lost its star.

A log of mishaps of cultural items also details how the skin of a basking shark at the Natural History Museum was starting to split and ended up being fitted with a ‘nappy’ to avoid further damage.

The museum’s inventory detailed how in 2023 a bookcase believed to belong to Parnell was damaged after a leak in the roof of a storage area.

The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) said the item was currently under assessment by their conservation team.

Last year, a chair that was part of an exhibition of the internationally famed Irish designer Eileen Gray, was damaged while on public display and had to be removed from public view.

The NMI said conservation work had already been completed, and it was now back available for the public to see.

A series of paper drawings – part of a collection of Japanese art – were damaged after rain caused a leak at the Museum of Decorative Arts and History.

A note of the incident said: “This led to fluctuations in relative humidity within an exhibition case … the decision was made to de-install the paper items from the exhibition and the items have been assessed and returned to storage.”

In 2021, the museum said an antique chair on display at Collins Barracks got knocked over.

After that, it was noticed that a screw had come loose from the back of the chair and a slat became detached.

During 2019, a fluid preserved frog container was damaged which resulted in the evaporation of solvent that led to “the drying out of the specimen.”

The NMI said the frog was later “rehydrated and was stabilised.”

The same year, a glass candelabra was damaged when it was taken down to be photographed.

The museum’s log said the star at the top had broken away from the stem and when examined, it appeared to have been “badly repaired” prior to acquisition by the state.

Other cases logged by the NMI included one where a sheet of glass was broken at the Museum of Natural History when scaffolding was being moved.

A note said: “Following the incident, the displays in the exhibition case were condition assessed and checked for damage. One small tear occurred on the leg of a cavy [guinea pig-type animal].”

Asked whether any objects in their collection were missing, the NMI said they had no records of any items gone astray.

They said pieces could sometimes be logged as “location outstanding” in their systems but this was usually a temporary issue rectified when inventory was taken.

They said six items were stolen from their collections: a pair of scissors in 2022, an apple corer in 2006, and the high-profile theft of four rhino heads in 2013.

A spokesperson for the NMI said: “The care of the collection is governed by a number of policies including collection care, collection management and security policies and procedures.

“These are reviewed regularly and fulfilled daily through the regular duties and operations of the staff at the National Museum.”