Bru na Boinne (Palace of Boyne)
County. Meath
Bru na Boinne (Palace of the Boyne) is a designated World Heritage Site. One of the world’s most important archaeological landscapes, it contains the megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth dating to 3000 BC. The site is under the guardianship of the Heritage Council of Ireland. The 26 full-time members of staff include fifteen permanent guides. During the summer staff numbers rise to 60 to cope with increased demand. Undergraduate and postgraduate students from disciplines as varied as archaeology, history and ethnographical studies mostly fill this role. Yearly visitor figures can reach 240,000, with 8,000 school-children having free access.
Excellent communication skills and an enthusiasm for the subject are a pre-requisite for employment. As all on-site interpretation at Bru na Boinne is carried out by tour-guides, it is acknowledged that the quality of the educator must be flawless in shaping the public’s first impression. Guides must display an ability to interact with varying audiences. The visitor centre, the first point of contact for the public, was opened at Bru na Boinne in 1997 and constructed to harmonise with its natural environment and the passage tombs. It now caters not only for tourists but for the local community, school groups and senior citizens. Large-scale exhibits of reconstructions are available as an alternative to the usual wall-to-wall text panels. Information booklets exist in different languages and teachers help design worksheets. Comprehensive information is imparted on Neolithic and Bronze Age peoples, their culture and methods of buildings. Education activities emphasise conservation at local and national level.
From the visitor centre, a fleet of buses ferries visitors to and from each site where they are met by a tour-guide. In the light of the current debate about visitor centres and historic sites, Newgrange is a model others might emulate. Bru na Boinne now features as a case study in many Heritage Management courses. The National Disability Authority has also selected it as a site of excellence. AK
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