2025 IMA Annual Conference: Collections in Transition - the life cycle of objects

The 2025 Irish Museums Association (IMA)'s Annual Conference, Collections in Transition - the life cycle of objects, will be held in Tralee, Co. Kerry, supported by Kerry County Museum. 

The conference will be launched by the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and take place at Siamsa Tíre theatre and arts centre on Wednesday 5 March and Thursday 6 March, with a field trip to The Blasket Centre on Friday 7 March. 

The most significant annual event for the Irish museum community, we invite museum professionals, academics, practitioners from the wider cultural landscape, and those with a professional interest in museums and cultural heritage to come together to network, share knowledge and expertise, and influence the development of the sector.

Conference Brief

Collections in Transition - the life cycle of objects will explore the challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations associated with the life cycle of collections, addressing themes relating to stewardship and policy development, innovative approaches to collection management and access, community engagement and shared ownership, among others. 

It will invite delegates to, through discussions, consider what are the ethical implications and management strategies associated with these processes within the museum sector: how do museums navigate these complex phases while maintaining ethical integrity and public trust?

Conference Speakers: 

Clare Ablett, Curator of Transport and Industry, National Museums NI: Ulster Transport Museum; Martin Bradley, Barrister and Archivist; Moya Carey, Curator of Islamic Collections, Chester Beatty; Ann Chumbley, Collection Registrar, Butler Gallery; Kevin Gosling, Chief Executive, Collections Trust; John Gibney, Assistant Editor, Royal Irish Academy; Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, Dublin Port; Diaa Lagan, Artist; Evelyn Leon Nunez, Documentation Assistant, Crawford Art Gallery; Sian McInerney, Collections and Research Manager, The Hunt Museum; Julieanne McMahon, Cultural Heritage Curator, National Trust; Anna McSweeney, Lecturer, Trinity College Dublin; Gillian O’Brien, Professor of Public History, Liverpool John Moores University; Patricia O’Hare, Research and Education Officer, Muckross House; Helen O’Carroll, Curator, Kerry County Museum; Jean O’Donovan, Registrar, Crawford Art Gallery; Zoë Reid, Keeper, National Archives; Emma Reisz, Lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast; Lisa Shortall, Head of Research, Learning and Cultural Heritage, The Heritage Council; Niamh Twomey, Collection Assistant, Butler Gallery; Cara Trant, Executive Director, Kerry Writers' Museum; Eithne Verling, Director, Galway City Museum; Gregory Walls, PhD Candidate, Trinity College Dublin; Caitlin White, Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin; and Briony Widdis, Research Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast. 

To learn more about the conference

Click here to access the dedicated 2025 conference pages.