Over the last year there have been a significant number of book donations to the Museum Library involving several hundred volumes. There has, however, been a delay in adding these books to the Master Catalogue but, following the purchase of a new PC, cataloguing these items has recommenced and they will be added to the system over the coming months.
We are currently reviewing the allocation of books to the Library shelves in the light of our experience over recent years with the areas of particular interest to researchers.
In conjunction with cataloguing the recent donations, we will be altering the categories and individual books which will be given priority in the main display shelves in the Library area. Books which are not frequently required will be kept in other storage areas within the Maritime Museum and accessed as necessary. This will improve the availability of frequently consulted books to researchers. The Library staff have dealt with a wide number of queries from visitors to the Museum and some examples are given below: –
- Supplying information to RTE for TV Documentary “Great Lighthouses of Ireland”
- Assist with research into the drowning of a man from Kingstown who was washed overboard from one of the notorious “K Class” Royal Navy submarines in July 1918
- Providing prints of Irish Shipping Ltd vessels for special presentation to a former employee of Irish Shipping Ltd. living in England.
- Ongoing assistance to a member of the Maritime Institute researching Lifeboats in Dublin Bay.
- Information supplied following query from Cumbria about the history of a sailing ship launched there in 1825 and later registered in Cork.
- Assistance provided in tracing maritime history about the Connick seafaring family in Dundalk from the early 19th Century.
- Information supplied in answer to query from Germany for documentary about M V Kerlogue.
- Ongoing query for information about casualties from sinking of Japanese Ship Hirano Maru in October 1918 who may have been washed ashore on Irish Coast.
- Correspondence with travel photographer in California (and former Irish Lights Lighthouse keeper) about a possible donation of lighthouse images to the Maritime Museum for potential use in Museum and promotions.
