ICRI Heritage Week: Conservation in Practice

Join the Institute of Conservator-Restorers in Ireland (ICRI) for two back-to-back talks from conservation professionals at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and National Museums NI.

Sarah Graham, Head of Conservation at PRONI, will explore how preventive conservation has enabled original archival documents to travel beyond Belfast through loans and outreach programmes. The talk will examine the practical measures that support the safe display of original records while broadening public access to Northern Ireland's documentary heritage.

The second presentation, delivered by Rebecca Laverty, Bethany Skuce and Harriet Gillespie of National Museums NI, examines the conservation and interpretation of collections relating to the Troubles. Through case studies including attenuating energy projectiles ("plastic bullets") and paper objects on long-term display, the speakers will discuss the challenges of preserving contested heritage, caring for unstable materials, and balancing preventive conservation with public access and collective memory.

Together, these presentations offer insight into the diverse role of conservation across archives and museums, highlighting the practical, ethical and interpretative challenges involved in caring for collections of national significance.