Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) wins Europa Nostra Award

The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) has won a prestigious European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Award in the Citizen’s Engagement and Awareness Raising category. MoLI will be presented with the award alongside other winners in a ceremony in Venice in September this year.

MoLI was singled out by the Europa Nostra jury for its work as a heritage project fostering social cohesion, inclusion, multicultural dialogue and nurturing a sense of place and belonging.

Speaking on receipt of the news, MoLI’s Director, Simon O’Connor, said:

“The founding patrons and partners in UCD and the National Library of Ireland had the ambition and vision to create a major literary institution in the University’s original home that would open reading and writing to all audiences. We have never taken achieving that ambition for granted, and welcoming visitors from every imaginable walk of life to this spectacular facility has been at the centre of our work.

From toddlers to teenagers, academics to pensioners learning to read for the first time, sharing the empowering and democratic value of the written and spoken word is what motivates us every day. To receive this award is a welcome acknowledgement of that work, and due recognition for the vision of our partners and patrons. It is an award for them, and the community of visitors who inspire us.”

The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards were launched by the European Commission in 2002 and have been run in partnership with Europa Nostra ever since. The Awards are supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

The Awards celebrate and promote the highest standards in heritage interventions, research, and education, training and awareness-raising, as well the longstanding dedication of professionals and volunteers. The achievements recognised throughout the lifespan of the Awards scheme are a testament to the dynamic and vibrant heritage of Europe and of the dedication with which it is celebrated and cared for across the continent.