Historical objects take their place at local museum

TWO OBJECTS of enormous historical significance to both Carlow and Carlow’s Methodist community were unveiled recently at Carlow County Museum.

Cllr Fergal Browne, cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, and Rev John Alderdice, president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, unveiled a display of two objects at the museum.

The two items are a limestone plaque from 1789 commemorating the last visit to the town by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and the second item is a beautiful 1899 tablecloth containing the hand-stitched signatures of 183 people.

The conservation and relocation of the 1798 plaque was funded by a Heritage Council’s Heritage Stewardship Fund grant while the conservation of the tablecloth received funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, through its Regional Museum Exhibitions Scheme.

“Carlow County Museum, operated by Carlow County Council, co-ordinated the conservation and display of both objects,” said cllr Browne.

“The report on the limestone plaque stated that the plaque was in an advanced state of decay and extremely fragile to touch. Without specialised intervention the plaque would have continued to deteriorate. Following the conservation works, I’m pleased to state, the plaque is now stable. Meanwhile, the tablecloth, for the majority of its 125 years, remained in storage. This wonderful piece of Carlow social and religious history has been conserved, mounted and framed and on display in our wonderful museum that is free to visit,” he added.

The tablecloth contains the hand-stitched signatures of 183 people who attended a Methodist church building fund raising ‘Bazaar and Sale of Work’ in the town hall on Saturday 13 May1899.

Many of those whose stitched signatories are contained in the cloth were important families in the area, involved in business, social and cultural life of the town and surrounding areas.

The memorial plaque is believed to have come from the former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Charlotte Street in the town. Until recently the plaque was stored in the basement of the present Methodist Church.

The oval shaped blue limestone plaque has the finely carved inscription ‘Wesleyan Methodist Chapel Erected AD 1789’.

Rev Alderdice was on a four-day visit to the county and engaged in a number of activities with the Carlow Methodist community. He described it as “a genuine honour to take part in the unveiling of the two historical items presented by the Methodist Church to Carlow County Museum”.

“Being able to preserve these important items offers us a window to our past that helps us understand our social and religious history and enables us to consider our place in the community in the present.” 

The conservation works to the tablecloth were undertaken by Rachel Phelan Textile Conservation in her studio in Dublin. Gebel and Helling Conservation Ltd of Cork and Tipperary conserved and relocated the plaque to the museum.

A delighted Rev Katherine Kehoe said: “It is a privilege to attend this wonderful event and to see the names of past Carlow Methodist Church members saved for posterity. I am conscious of the great debt of gratitude the present church family owes each one. Many thanks to all at Carlow County Museum for making this piece of Methodist Carlow history available to the community.” 

These items, along with hundreds of objects of Carlow’s history, can be viewed in Carlow County Museum, which is located on College Street in Carlow town and admission is free of charge.