Fears for the future of Ledwidge Museum

A CRY from the heart has been issued by the committee of the Francis Ledwidge Museum in Slane over the deteriorating state of the 135-year-old birthplace of the poet along with the prospect of a major bypass of the village which is planned almost on its doorstep.

Museum committee chairperson Terry Wogan says “We are delighted and relieved to once again open our doors to visitors from Monday 10th May, but the museum faces real challenges for its future sustainability.

There are serious worries now that the home of the poet Francis Ledwidge will be lost to future generations through creeping dampness and other structural problems in the building at Janeville on the Drogheda-Slane Road. In all, the committee said, the cost of conservation and other works will cost €40,000 and it finds itself without the resources to carry out the works. The museum which has charitable status is now launching a public appeal for funds to save it.

The committee at its most recent meeting decided to open the appeal so that vital work can be got under way this year.

They say that further damage to the historical centre must be avoided. The cottage was once the home of Patrick and Anne Ledwidge and their children and the place where Francis was born (19th August 1887) and wrote some of his early poetry before going off to war and, eventually, his death on the battlefields of Belgium in 1917.

The concerns for the cottage are myriad. The West wall of the cottage, which was rendered with cement mortar, needs major treatment in the form of replacement with lime mortar in order to allow the building to “breathe”. The fact that the wall has cement rendering, along with the fact that a flagged footpath runs right up to the base of the wall, causing dampness inside.

Dampness has affected the kitchen where plasterwork is ready to fall off, and also the “panel room” opened in another room in the cottage opened by former Minister of State Mary Wallace in 2001 and houses artefacts connected with Ledwidge’s life.

The chairperson said “The museum receives an annual grant from Meath County Council and the committee wishes to acknowledge their grateful appreciation for that support as without it we would not be in a position to cover day to day running costs.

Unfortunately, two applications for grants made by the museum to the Built Heritage Investment Scheme have been unsuccessful.”

Other problems affecting the building were the urgent replacement of Bangor slates, ridge tiles and cast iron guttering on the roof to prevent rain getting in, damaged windows and the outstanding need for a new heating system.

The overriding concern of the committee is that it has a duty and responsibility to conserve original features of the building but not to carry out any replacements. Some years ago, Meath County Council purchased the adjoining matching cottage alongside the museum but it is now in charge of the committee and needs some conservation work.

A grave concern for the committee is the prospect of the planned new bypass for Slane which is scheduled to pass very close to the museum.

The committee stressed that it was in favour of the bypass for the sake of the safety of people in the village but also of those passing through the village daily but have expressed fears that the gentle landscape around the museum will be irrevocably changed by the intrusion of construction work noise and disruption, the increased volume of traffic and intrusive lighting.

The chairperson said: “Most visitors take time to relax and reflect in the beautiful adjacent garden and we are concerned that pleasant visitor experience will be much diminished by the proximity of the planned bypass.

“The museum is one of the key tourist attractions in the Boyne Valley region and adds much to the built heritage and cultural landscape of County Meath.

It is vital that it can continue to showcase the life of a treasured poet and literary figure so we appeal for support to preserve for future generations.”

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