`Hey mister, giz us a children's museum." Orla Kennedy has primed her six-yearold, Conor, with a ready-made request, should he ever find himself in the company of Bertie Ahern. But, never one to wait about for the vagaries of fortune, Kennedy is already working hard to make sure her dream comes true.
"I'm not talking about a place full of toy trains and dolls' houses," she stresses. "I'm talking about a multimedia educational resource that exposes children to areas like science and technology, natural history, arts and culture, and communications in an innovative, hands-on way. Even though we have the youngest population in Europe, there's nothing like this in Ireland."
During an interlude spent living in Boston with her husband and small son, she became familiar with the city's Children's Museum (see panel): "Once you have a child, you have to find things to do with him." The proposed Irish Children's Museum will be designed along similar lines to the one in Boston.
She envisions children learning how phones work by pressing huge digits on a giant mobile phone, and learning how newspapers are made by helping to put one together themselves: "The hands-on experience would be complemented by educational signs, like `did you know that the first newspaper was made in 59BC? It was an idea of Julius Caesar's, and it was called Acta Diurna, which means The Daily News'." Her eyes sparkle as she envisages children learning about how the senses work by pressing buttons on giant tongues and putting their hands up enormous noses. She'd also love to have a child-sized car wash that children could operate like the one in the children's museum in Halifax, England ("every major city in Europe has a children's museum or is building one.") Reluctantly we leave the arena of magical potential to discuss the hard nuts and bolts of making such a museum happen. Last year Kennedy discussed the idea with Southside Partnership, of which her husband, Neal Newman, is manager.
"I live in the Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown area, where they are involved in developing the community," she explains. "They hired me as a consultant." "We realised we needed a tourism initiative with an educational and family focus," says Newman. "Dun Laoghaire is an interesting area. It has an image of great wealth, but it also contains some of the worst pockets of poverty in the country. We wanted a facility that would benefit both," as well as "bring development to the area and provide job and training opportunities. In Boston, it has acted as a magnet." He estimates that a purpose-built building of between 25,000 and 40,000 square feet would cost £3 to £4 million, with extra money needed for exhibits. Kennedy will be looking for sponsors to support individual exhibits: "Like if we have one on phones, we'll go to Telecom."
The proposed site for the museum is the Carlisle Pier in Dun Laoghaire: "We have sent our proposal to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company - now a commercial semi-state company. Hopefully we'll have a Christmas present," says Newman. Carlisle Pier has the advantage of being located just beside the DART.
Michael Hanahoe, chief executive of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, says: "We have received many proposals and this one will be evaluated with all the others. We would hope to redevelop the Carlisle Pier at some point in the future."
There is an alternative in mind: the Stack A building in the Docklands area (beside the Financial Services Centre), which has been designated for museum use. This has the advantage of more space, and is an existing building that can be renovated, rather than starting construction from scratch.
"We're committed to no specific project yet," says Gerry Kelly, director of Social Programmes with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. "All discussions with interested parties have been conducted on a strictly informal basis."
Meanwhile Brian Redmond and his team at Ernst and Young consultants have done a draft feasibility study. "The museum's income will come from door admissions, corporate sponsorship, donations and fund-raising activities," he notes. "We've been linking in with the financial people at the Boston Children's Museum to see their patterns of spending and income." He reckons the admission price would be similar to that of Dublin Zoo - £5.90 for adults, £3 for under 16s and free for children under 3 years old. The study shows that such a museum, once built, could pay for itself. "23 per cent of Ireland's population is under 15 years of age: 30 per cent of those children live in Dublin," says Kennedy. "According to the Central Statistics Office, there will be an increase in the primaryschool-going population after 2006," adds Brian Redmond.
An estimated 300,000 visitors would attend each year, including school groups and community organisation (the Boston Museum currently attracts more than 385,000 visitors annually). The tourist market would account for 25 per cent of admissions.
"We're looking to the EU, the Government and to the US for support," says Kennedy. "We want to establish a foundation in the US, because they can give a significant amount to charity and get it taken off their taxes." An American foundation has already donated $10,000 to the project. She would like to see the Government create a similar tax policy in this country.
She would also like the museum to be taken on as a millennium project: "Investing in our children would be a good symbol for the future. The money is there. We've never been so wealthy. Our schools are overcrowded and under-resourced. We have the Ark in Temple Bar, but it is not accessible for everyone, and it can only take 40 kids at any one time. What else do we really have for our children that is both educational and fun?"
