By Ryan Daniel Koenig, Collections Assistant - Registration, National Museum of Ireland; Trisha Ryan, Education Officer Assistant – Archaeology, National Museum of Ireland
Museum education and engagement focuses on delivering a programme of activities and events to engage communities and audiences with the collections.
Following a presentation by Ryan Daniel Koenig on his archaeological research, “(Re)Constructing the Ballybunion Knitted Cap”, at the IMA 2026 Education and Outreach (ED+O) Forum, in addition to an interactive discussion session on education and engagement topics with other museum professionals from throughout the island of Ireland, Ryan left the conference with the following take-away:
Engagement from museums can and does happen from multiple museum departments.
Within this article, Education Officer Assistant, Trisha Ryan, and Collections Assistant, Ryan Daniel Koenig, will be sharing how a cross-departmental, collaborative approach to engagement between Education and Registration successfully delivered two sessions of a unique event for the Bealtaine Festival – Ireland’s national festival celebrating the arts and aging.
Event: “Bealtaine Workshop: A Stitch in Time”.
Description of Event: During this workshop, you will learn about the history of hand knitting and discover the basics of knitting by creating a bookmark to take home. In the first part of the workshop, Ryan will give a brief presentation on the history of hand knitting, followed by a short, guided tour of the Museum’s collection of clothing recovered from Irish bogs, currently on display at Kildare Street. In the second half, you will have the opportunity to pick up the needles and begin knitting your own garter stitch bookmark, using the same stitch that was utilised to create the false seams of knitted stockings in 17th and 18th century Ireland. The workshop is suitable for knitters of all skill levels, including those who have never knitted before.
Playing To Our Strengths
Collaboration works well when everyone involved works together, incorporating their personal strengths.
Trisha Ryan, Education Officer Assistant, has over 10 years of experience working in museum education as part of the Education Team at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street and interpreting and engaging audiences on the Irish Antiquities collection. Trisha was able to utilise her wealth of knowledge and experience in creating and delivering engaging events which spark joy and interest in the collections with audiences.
From a background in fashion design, merchandising, and fashion history with over ten years of fashion industry experience, Ryan Daniel Koenig transitioned from a career in the fashion industry to a career in archaeology, heritage and culture via an MSc Archaeology (First Class Honours) from University College Dublin. Ryan now works in the Museum’s Registration Department as a Collections Assistant. Outside of his work at the NMI, Ryan is a Textile Archaeologist. Ryan’s research focuses on how we can explore the past together by engaging textile crafters in archaeological research via a citizen science approach paired with experimental archaeology methodology. His past research, “(Re)Constructing the Ballybunion Knitted Cap” provided insights into the working lives of 16th century cap knitters. It also provided opportunity for individuals from throughout the island of Ireland, to engage, learn, research and (re)construct, first-hand, an archaeological artefact – The Ballybunion Knitted Cap from the NMI’s collections. 10 of the (Re)Constructions of the Ballybunion Knitted Cap were donated to the NMI’s Education Department for the Handling Collection.
Trisha had brilliantly organised the logistics and management of the event from start to finish. Whilst Ryan was able to utilise his textile archaeology and knitting knowledge in producing and delivering the presentation, guided tour and the bookmark workshop.
When Ryan was discussing with the Education Department and Trisha about the event, it was decided that running such an event as part of the festival of Bealtaine would be the right fit. Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival celebrating the arts and ageing. The Education Department has run events for Bealtaine for over 20 years, with the key approach being to have a creative output that links back to the collections. The Ballybunion Cap, and the workshop on knitting, sat well within the spirit and aim of Bealtaine. Ahead of the event, Trisha managed and coordinated the promotion and bookings of the event, as well as other logistics. A key aspect of the booking phase was to engage with people who were attending from the beginning, so attendees were asked to fill out an application form to gain an understanding in their own knitting knowledge as well as their expectations of attending such a workshop. For the workshop, tea, coffee and a small treat was arranged for attendees to encourage conversations between people and to create a relaxed and safe space for the workshop.
Outcome
Through our collaborative efforts, we were able to play to our strengths and deliver meaningful engagement through 2 booked-out sessions of the event, “Bealtaine Workshop: A Stitch in Time”.
What made the event successful was the schedule of the event which allowed for engagement not only between participants and the objects, but amongst the participants themselves. The event started with participants arriving to the Museum and meeting in the Rotunda entrance where participants were able to chat amongst themselves until Trisha delivered introductions to the event. Following introductions, the participants were then guided to the Learning Resource Room where they could settle down at circular tables that allowed face-to-face conversations in a group to emerge. Laid out on the tables were all the supplies and the (re)constructions of the Ballybunion Knitted Cap. Once the participants were settled, Ryan delivered a presentation on the History of Hand Knitting followed by a tour of the bog clothing objects on display in the galleries within the Museum. There were big smiles and heaps of laughing as participants meandered through the galleries during the tour, wearing (Re)Constructions of the Ballybunion Knitted Cap from the NMI handling collections – offering the rare opportunity to hold (and wear!) the object that was before their eyes on display. After the tour, participants returned to the Learning Resource Room for a tea/coffee/biscuit break where they could then chat amongst themselves on everything they experienced so far. Following the break, Ryan led the knitting workshop where participants picked up the knitting needles themselves and completed a garter stitch bookmark. A garter stitch bookmark was chosen as it is a relatively easy knitting project which allowed for people to knit and continue chatting at the same time.
Overall, the events were a success in engaging people from multiple generations with the NMI collections. Participants mostly came alone, yet partook in great chats with other participants about the presentation, tour and all things knitting related whilst picking up the knitting needles again. The chats quickly shifted to participants sharing their local knitting groups with open invitations to other participants – building community across multiple generations whilst connecting with Ireland’s past and the NMI’s collections through the Museum’s Education programme.
Feedback
After the event, each of the attendees were emailed with additional information so they could continue their knitting and what they learned at the workshop. With this, a feedback form was also sent out. Gaining feedback from attendees helps us to understand how people engaged with the workshop, what they learnt from it, and provides insights into developing and delivering similar workshops in the future. We asked attendees what part of the workshop they enjoyed, was there anything in the Museum that they would like to learn about in the future and general feedback on how the event went. We received some excellent and insightful feedback from those that attended. People where very grateful that such an event took place, especially the hands-on element of having the opportunity to practice and learn knitting. They really enjoyed the short tour in the Museum of the Ballybunion Cap and Bog Costumes, as well as the very informative presentation from Ryan, with many looking forward to attending such events in the future.
‘It was a great balance of lecture, presentation (of the bog-clothing artifacts, especially), and hands-on activity.’
‘Most enjoyable were the interactions with Mr. Koenig and the other workshop members. I appreciated how we were permitted to touch and wear the caps. I also appreciated the walking tour of the museum's clothing collection. I had seen the items before, but never appreciated them as I learned to do with Mr. Koenig.’
‘My experience was a very positive one. Patricia and Ryan made it a memorable one’
‘In my opinion, it could not have been better.’
More Information
If you would like to find out more about the upcoming events happening at the National Museum of Ireland, you can do so here: Event Calendar | National Museum of Ireland
