Press release
New state-of-the-art visitor experience opens at Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre following €4.5 million investment
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Today, exactly 26 years after the 'Archaeological ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne or Brú na Bóinne' was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran TD, Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief, and Brendan Griffin TD, Minister of State for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, opened a new state-of-the-art Visitor Experience at the Brú na Bóinne centre.
This follows a major investment of €4.5 million by the strategic partners of Fáilte Ireland, OPW and Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Fáilte Ireland provided a grant of €2.6 million under the government’s Project Ireland 2040 strategy with the aim of driving sustainable growth in the Irish tourism sector and higher revenue and job creation around Ireland.
The building on the banks of the Boyne River, near Donore in Co Meath, has become famous as the entry point for the renowned Neolithic Passage Tomb complexes of Newgrange and Knowth.
The new immersive visitor experience will showcase the archaeological and historical heritage of Brú na Bóinne in a way that is evocative, absorbing and entertaining for visitors while increasing the capacity of visitors to the site and monuments. It will tell the story of how the Neolithic Passage Tomb at Newgrange was constructed around 3,200 BC, and the way it aligns with the rising sun at the time of the Winter Solstice on 21 December. New information on the immensely rich archaeological landscape of the World Heritage Site around Newgrange will also be brought to life at the centre for the first time, with exciting discoveries made during the summer of 2018 which have since been investigated by the National Monuments Service.
Officially opening the new visitor experience this morning, Minister Moran said:
"It’s a huge pleasure for me to be here to open the new facilities at Brú na Bóinne today. Everyone concerned from the OPW, my colleague Josepha Madigan’s Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (CHG) and Fáílte Ireland have pulled out all the stops to make sure that this project has been a resounding success, delivering a great new experience for visitors and providing a fantastic showcase for Newgrange, Knowth and other wonderful heritage sites locally in the Boyne Valley."
In his comments, Minister Griffin echoed the praise for the new facilities:
"Newgrange and the Boyne Valley region are among Ireland’s greatest cultural and tourism gems. The government is proud to support innovation in tourism and the work Fáilte Ireland and the OPW have done to transform the visitor centre here will help to ensure that Ireland remains a world-class visitor destination."
Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly said:
"It’s incredibly important that we build and develop visitor attractions to give overseas tourists compelling reasons to visit Ireland. Tourism is a highly competitive business and we need to continue to innovate in order to stand out in the international marketplace. Fáilte Ireland is currently working on 47 large capital projects across the country and Brú na Bóinne, as part of our strategic partnership with the OPW, is one of these. This is already a major and iconic Irish visitor attraction and our investment will help to ensure that it can stand out to diverse markets and drive greater visitor numbers in the entire Ireland’s Ancient East region."
Minister Josepha Madigan TD, who could not be present at the event due to official Dáíl business, welcomed the opening today.
Minister Madigan said:
"This significant State investment is an important step in meeting our responsibilities under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, providing accessible and accurate interpretation of this prestigious archaeological site. It will be a place of education and enjoyment for many for years to come under the dedicated management of our OPW Visitor Services colleagues and it is a sign of our commitment to the community of Brú na Bóinne, whose support is so important in the overall management of the World Heritage Site."
Minister Madigan added:
"I congratulate all those involved in Fáilte Ireland, the Office of Public Works and my own department’s National Monuments Service for their supreme effort over recent months to ensure this exhibition has opened in time for the Winter Solstice. That gathering to witness the sun’s dawn rays lighting up the burial chamber of the great passage tomb of Newgrange brings people together as it has done for thousands of years. This beautiful new exhibition space will also help bring people together to share the fascinating story of ancient technologies in the most modern, exciting and accessible of ways."
The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre was first opened to the public in 1997 and quickly became a huge success with visitors, showcasing the rich archaeological heritage of the Boyne Valley to over 5 million visitors and becoming one of the foremost visitor attractions in Ireland. In recent years, the need for reinvestment in the building became clear and with substantial financial assistance being provided by Fáilte Ireland, a project for the refurbishment of the building and the creation of a new visitor experience and exhibition was developed. International exhibition consultants EVENT won the bid process for the design of the new exhibition and local Meath construction firm JV Ledwith were successful with their tender for the building renovation.
The new exhibition at Brú na Bóinne was created by EVENT and advised by an expert team led by Emeritus Professor Muiris Ó Súilleabháin, UCD, with assistance from Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s National Monuments Service, Fáílte Ireland and the OPW.
The building project involved the complete internal refurbishment of the building, replacing flooring, ceilings and electrical systems and providing a refurbished café and kitchen environment to sustain a suitable dining experience for future visitors.
The investment made in the Brú na Bóinne Centre is one element of an investment being made in the World Heritage Site under a strategic partnership arrangement and investment programme between the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Fáilte Ireland and the OPW. A parallel visitor experience project has also been developed at the nearby Knowth passage tomb complex, which is also managed by the OPW and will be opened officially in the New Year. Further works are also planned at the site of the Newgrange passage tomb itself and these will be delivered later in 2020.
ENDS
Photography from the launch will be available after the event from Naoise Culhane on naoise@naoiseculhane.com or by contacting Barry Nangle, OPW, on 087 147 0617.
For further information, please contact OPW Client Services and Communications Unit at opwcsc@opw.ie
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The complete project cost was €4.5 million, including the provision of temporary Reception facilities for visitors for almost a year while the works were carried out.
The project was part funded by Fáilte Ireland, who provided a grant of €2,587,500, with the remainder being financed by OPW and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Visitor access to Newgrange was maintained throughout the project, with visitors being ticketed and processed from temporary building facilities set up next to the building.
Access to the Monuments for the duration of the project was free for all visitors.
For information on recent archaeological discoveries in the World Heritage Site , see Interim Report (December 2018) prepared by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht - www.archaeology.ie/sites/default/files/files/bru-na-boinne-interim-report.pdf.
Contractors for the Project were:
Archaeology: Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s National Monuments Service and expert team led by Emeritus Professor Muiris Ó Súilleabháin, UCD.