DEFENCE FORCES MUSEUM – CURRAGH CAMP
MUSEUM’s VOLUNTEER GUIDES 
Artillery Club’s Objectives. One of the Artillery Club’s prescribed objectives is to support military and regimental museums, in the acquisition, preservation, maintenance and display of Artillery weapons, equipment, material and artefacts. 
Artillery Club’s Working Group. Under the leadership of Col Brian O’Connor (Retd), the Artillery Club’s Working Group continues to actively engage with the Defence Forces Military Museum, Curragh Camp, County Kildare. The Working Group coordinates the required work to achieve identified objectives within the domain of the Artillery Display, including weapons and equipment. The Museum’s Twitter account is highly recommended, and can be accessed via: @CurraghMuseum. 
Defence Forces Military Museum. The Defence Forces Museum is staffed by Defence Forces personnel, and is opened to the public on weekdays and on special occasions.
Volunteer Guides. In order to open the museum to the public on Sundays, the Curragh Region of the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers (ARCO) established a panel of Volunteer Guides in 2016 to assist the Permanent Defence Force Guides. The process ceased in 2019 due to Covid 19.
The Curragh Museum Volunteer Guides are a group of retired Defence Forces personnel who open and staff the museum on Sundays. There are two persons on Guide duty each Sunday from 1400hrs to 1700hrs.
Duties – Sunday Opening. On Sundays, Volunteer Guides open the museum, supervise the installation, and inform visitors. On occasions, organised tours visit the museum and are handled by the most experienced Volunteer Guide. Depending on their availability a third Volunteer Guide from IUNVA may also be available providing assistance. A manual of all exhibits and an operations guide to all the functions is available in the museum for Volunteer Guides.
Invitation for Volunteer Guides. The Artillery Club is keen to support the intent of the OC Museum to reopen the Defence Forces Museum on Sundays availing of Volunteer Guides.
This will require a panel 24+ persons, to enable Volunteers to carry out the role once every 3 months.
Prior to each quarter a request sheet is circulated to ascertain each person’s availability. Volunteer Guides are only rostered for the dates they volunteer for.
Point of Contact. If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Guide for the Curragh Museum, please contact Colonel Brian O’Connor (Retd), or any member of the Artillery Club’s Committee.
