Minister of State Malcolm Noonan (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage) visited the Shackleton Museum in Athy on Tuesday, 8th June to view progress on ambitious plans for a major redevelopment project being undertaken by Kildare County Council in conjunction with the Athy Heritage Company at the historic Town Hall building.
The museum celebrates the life of Kilkea born Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and will feature ‘The Quest’ cabin in which Shackleton died on his final Antarctic expedition in 1922.
Kildare County Council has recently appointed an Architect Lead Design Team (inclusive of a Conservation Architect and an Interpretive and Exhibition Design Consultant) to progress detailed design for the project. It is expected that works on the project will commence in early 2022.
The overall project cost is c. €3.8 million, with grant funding from the Rural Regeneration Development Fund and Council in the amount of €3.1 million being committed. The local Heritage Company will announce details of a major fundraising initiative later this year.
