THE OFFICIAL launch has taken place in New Ross of the town’s very first museum.

However, the ‘Community Museum’ is an unconventional and rather unique take on the idea of exhibiting historical items of interest to the general public.

The project was officially launched earlier this month by the local Tidy Towns organisation in conjunction with New Ross Chamber.

The project was launched in the Tholsel. The organisers of the initiative have been delighted with the response from the general public to-date.

A spokesperson commented to The Echo: “There was a steady flow of people through the Council Chamber, both viewing and donating items to the museum.”

In some ways the museum was launched as an ‘arrive-and-drive’ initiative as many of the items on view were brought in as the day went on. That fact was highlighted by the spokesperson for the organising committee: “It was amazing to see the collection of items that had been collected at the end of launch.”

Among the items donated to the project was a blanket presented to JFK which was produced in Hickeys on South Street. The blanket was also accompanied by a letter from the White House.

The Community Museum will see the items collected at the launch go on public display at key times throughout this year of ‘the Gathering’. The exhibits will be displayed at various locations throughout the town and it’s this aspect of the initiative that makes it truly unique.

(For full story see this week’s print edition of The Echo)