Museum of Literature Ireland wins prestigious award

THE Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) has won the Europa Nostra Award in the Citizen’s Engagement and Awareness Raising category.

Alongside the other winners, MoLI will be presented with the award in Venice this September.

The museum was singled out by the Europa Nostra jury for its work as a heritage project fostering social cohesion, inclusion, multicultural dialogue and nurturing a sense of place and belonging.

Described as the European Commission’s most important cultural heritage awards, the Europa Nostra Awards identify best practices in the conservation and enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage each year.

Sharing the news, MoLI’s Director, Simon O’Connor, commented: “The founding patrons and partners in UCD and the National Library of Ireland had the ambition and vision to create a major literary institution in the University’s original home that would open reading and writing to all audiences. We have never taken achieving that ambition for granted, and welcoming visitors from every imaginable walk of life to this spectacular facility has been at the centre of our work."

President of University College Dublin, Professor Orla Feely, added: “This award recognises the great contributions that MoLI has made to the cultural heritage of Dublin, Ireland and Europe in the few short years since it opened its doors to the public. It is clear proof of what can be achieved when two national institutions with an exciting shared vision and ambition – in this case, the National Library of Ireland and University College Dublin – join forces towards a common goal.”

The museum is also eligible for an additional Europa Nostra Public Choice Award. You can vote for MoLI here.