THE GLASNEVIN Museum in Dublin’s Glasnevin cemetery has been presented with a prestigious international Thea award at a glittering ceremony in Los Angeles.
Deemed the “the Oscars” for outstanding themed entertainment and attractions, recipients in the past have included Madame Tussauds in London, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois, Disney World in Orlando, and the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Presented by the Themed Entertainment Association, Glasnevin is the first cemetery to receive the award for excellence in creating a compelling educational, historical and entertainment project.
It is the resting place of 1.2 million people, including its founder Daniel O’Connell. Other leading Irish figures buried there include Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, and Charles Stewart Parnell.
George McCullough of the Glasnevin Trust said it was fantastic to win such a prestigious award .
“This is a huge international stage to compete on,” he said. “We are extremely proud of this achievement and delighted at this recognition. It is testament to the hard work of all those involved in the creation and design of Glasnevin Museum and those who continue to work hard on behalf of the museum and support us,” he said.
Thea judges found the museum deserving of the award because it stretched the format for presenting history in innovative and compelling ways by tracing the social, historical, political and artistic development of Ireland through the stories of those interred there since 1832. It is the fourth award won by the museum since it opened last April.
