Paper Conservation Workshop at the Clarke Museum, Ballina

What to Expect

The Clarke Museum of Irish History in Ballina hosts a free paper conservation workshop on Thursday 20 August 2026, running from 11am to around 12:30pm as part of Heritage Week 2026. The session is led by Benjamin van de Wetering, a document conservator who trained in hand bookbinding and then in book and paper conservation at the University of Amsterdam. Rather than a lecture, it is a demonstration of the craft itself, with the conservator working in front of the group and explaining what he is doing and why.

The part most people come for is the assessment: you can bring along one paper-based item of your own, whether that is an old newspaper, a photograph or a family letter, and have it looked at by a professional. If you have a box of damp-damaged family papers at home and no idea whether they can be saved, this is the free half hour that will tell you. Spaces are strictly limited and the museum asks people to register interest in advance by phone or email rather than turning up. The Clarke Museum, formerly the Jackie Clarke Collection, holds one of the most significant private collections of Irish historical documents in the country, so the conservation question is a live one for the building itself.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Thursday 20 August 2026, 11am to approximately 12:30pm
• Venue: The Clarke Museum of Irish History, Pearse Street, Ballina, Co. Mayo, F26 A368
• Price: free, but spaces are strictly limited
• Register interest on 096 73508, Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, or email clarkecollection@mayococo.ie
• You may bring one personal paper item, such as a newspaper, photograph or letter, for assessment
• Part of the National Heritage Week 2026 programme in Mayo

Getting There

The Clarke Museum is on Pearse Street in the centre of Ballina, a couple of minutes’ walk from the bridge and the main shopping streets, with public car parks close by in the town centre. Ballina is reached by the N26 from Foxford and Castlebar and the N59 from Sligo. Bus Eireann serves the town from Dublin, Galway and Sligo, and the rail branch line connects to the Dublin to Westport service at Manulla Junction.