The Jackie Clarke Collection in Ballina.
The Jackie Clarke Collection in Ballina opened its doors to the public in 2013 and celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday (Thursday, June 15).
As highlighted on the Mayo North website, Ballina businessman Jackie Clarke started scrapbooking historical events as a hobby but it grew into into the single most important private collection of Irish history material in public hands.
The Jackie Clarke Collection comprises over 100,000 items spanning 400 years, containing an eclectic mixture of artefacts, proclamations, posters, political cartoons, rare books, pamphlets, handbills associated with Theobald Wolfe Tone, and letters from Michael Collins, Douglas Hyde, Michael Davitt and O’Donovan Rossa. It also contains works by Sir John Lavery, maps, hunger strike material and personal items from Leaders of the 1916 Rising.
As well as the historical artefacts, the facility’s walled heritage garden has hosted hundreds of community events and has been awarded seven International Green Flags over this past decade.
Ten years ago, the late Anne Clarke, Jackie’s widow, opened the doors to the collection, which is located in the old Hibernian Bank in the heart of Ballina. Since then over 250,000 visitors from all over the world and the 32 counties of the island of Ireland have visited the stunning building.
The Jackie Clarke Collection has featured on local, national and international radio and television, including Sky TV’s Great Places to visit in Ireland programme, and in newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, Irish Times, Irish Roots Magazine, Ireland’s Own, Cara (Aer Lingus inflight magazine), as well as local media outlets.
The education programme has seen the Jackie Clarke Collection welcome hundreds of children from national and secondary schools, as well as foreign exchange students. The collection is a treasure trove of information and has assisted authors, publishers, broadcasters and researchers over the years with historical information.
Commenting on their Facebook page yesterday, the Jackie Clarke Collection said: “None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of Mayo County Council and their management team. Thanks to our past CEOs, Mr. Des Mahon, Mr. Peter Hynes, and our present CEO, Mr. Kevin Kelly, Ms. Joanne Grehan, our Director of Services, and Mr. Austin Vaughan, County Librarian, who looks after us all here at The Jackie Clarke Collection.
“As well as the team at Mayo County Council, we want to express our sincere thanks to everyone who over the past decade has helped us to make the Jackie Clarke Collection what it is today – our wonderful councillors past and present, the wonderful societies, community groups and charities that support us at all our events and whilst we cannot possibly mention you all individually, you know who you are!
“We have to just give a shout out to the following who have been with us from the start and without whom events at the Jackie Clarke Collection would simply not be the same, our dear friends at Atlantic Rhythm, the Ballina Girl Guides Unit, the Ballina Costume Company, the Bofield Céilí Band and the Ballina Folk Group – thank you all for your incredible contribution over the past ten years!
“Now a massive thank you to Sandra O’Neill and the board of the Kilmoremoy Parish Development Project and Mayo North East and Michael Rowland for seconding their staff to the JCC to cover the daily running of the front of house. We really have been blessed by all our wonderful staff and volunteers (past and present), who have worked tirelessly to make the Jackie Clarke Collection such an amazing place to work and visit. They have our unending gratitude.
“Last but certainly not least, all of our visitors and the wonderful people of Ballina who have supported us so incredibly over the past ten years.”