Two Kilkenny representatives are supporting calls for a new innovation in Kilkenny

Kilkenny's Minister for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, and local Green Party representative, Cllr Maria Dollard, are supporting calls for a County Museum to house artefacts locally.

Both are of the view that a change in the remit of the Medieval Mile Museum towards a free to enter municipal museum could 'unlock the potential' to display many more civic archives, collections from the National Museum, and countless other artefacts in collections around the county.

Minister Noonan has written to both Kilkenny Civic Trust and the CEO of Kilkenny County Council to ask them to consider the proposal and he has requested a meeting to discuss new possibilities and opportunities for St Mary's Church and Graveyard in Kilkenny.

He also said that the city has not yet realised the 'real value' of St Mary's, the graveyard, and its connection with the merchant families of Kilkenny, many of whom lived in mansions along High Street, Parliament Street and Patrick Street.

Fellow Green Party representative, Cllr Maria Dollard, said that changing the operation of the Medieval Mile Museum towards a County Museum would make absolute sense and represented value for money for the local authority who subsidise the museum.

Both Minister Noonan and Councillor Dollard are hopeful that consideration will be given to the proposal and are of the view that it could provide an economic boost to the old city centre, as well as a much stronger heritage asset that encompasses the entire site of St Mary's, including a small 'pocket park' around the graveyard for people to enjoy.