Clíona Purcell, a native of Carrick-on-Suir has recently been appointed Head Curator of Waterford Treasures collection of museums in Waterford City.
The award-winning Waterford Treasures Museums tells the story of Ireland's oldest city across five stunning museums and a guided walking tour of the Viking Triangle where visitors explore 1000 years of history in 1000 paces in the historic city centre.
The Medieval Museum is the only purpose-built museum in Ireland that features two national monuments - two medieval buildings contained within the museum - and a host of other artefacts. Just across the plaza the Bishop’s Palace, an elegant Georgian house, is the home of 18th, 19th and 20th-century treasures. This season a new tour will launch in the Palace focusing on scandal and excess, the real-life Bridgerton-style intrigue and romance of Waterford’s past. An icon of Waterford, Reginald’s Tower houses Waterford's Viking treasures including warfare and weaponry but also articles from the daily life of the Hiberno-Norse settlers. The ever-popular Irish Museum of Time, along with the Irish Silver Museum and the most recently opened Irish Wake Museum are also part of the collection.
29-year-old Clíona is the youngest head curator of any designated museum in the country.
Clíona studied History and English at the University of Limerick and went on to complete a Masters in History thereafter. During her Undergraduate degree she was awarded the Brian Faloon Prize by the UL History department for her dissertation; Throwing off the ‘Mighty Incubus’: Irish Municipal Revolution and the Development of the Waterford Corporation, 1828-1840. Throughout her studies, she developed a special interest in eighteenth-century social history. She also worked for Kilkenny Castle, the Hunt Museum and Sound Heritage Ireland during this period.
After this, she returned to Waterford Treasures as a researcher and exhibitions assistant in 2018. In 2019 she curated her first solo exhibition: 'For All the Tea in China' a collection of extraordinary Chinese porcelain with Irish arms displayed in context across the Bishop's Palace. Later she became the Education Officer and then Curator and Programmes Manager where she established the museum's vibrant Education Programme including handling workshops and activity-based learning for students of all ages.
Aside from Waterford Treasures, Clíona also sits on the boards of the Waterford Civic Trust and the Waterford Women's Centre. Clíona's research interests include the lives of women and children in the eighteenth century, life in poverty and the spread of disease in Waterford, as well as porcelain culture in Ireland at its height.
Commenting on her update of the role Clíona says, “I am delighted to commit to the role of head Curator at Waterford Treasures with such a diverse collection of museums, the role offers a great deal of variety each day and great opportunity. Due to my interest in museum education and developing my own hands-on visitor experiences, I see the future of Waterford Treasures as building on the wonderful achievements in the Viking Triangle so far, creating more community engagement, as well as more interactive sensory exhibits and events for the public.”
Clíona has already made some new developments with a brand new tour experience available for families at the Irish Wake museum - ‘A horrible histories’ style experience shares an insight into life and death in Ireland from the terrifying Black Death to worrisome Victorian medicine all set in a building that has witnessed six centuries of souls pass under its roof in the dead centre of the city. It is now on offer to families with children aged 8 and up.
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