With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 71 and 72 together.
The vehicles in question consist of two stage coaches, a brougham, a landau, a phaeton and a wagonette which the owner, who resides in Collooney, County Sligo, very kindly presented to the Museum. In view of the contribution to the illustration of the social history of the country which their exhibition would make, the Museum decided to accept them. They will be exhibited when space for the purpose becomes available.
The transport of the coaches to Dublin by road was undertaken by Córas Iompair Éireann. In order to avoid damage to the coaches, which are late nineteenth century, six individual removal operations were entailed and the speed of transport was necessarily slow, involving the absence of the transport crew from Dublin for two full days in each case. In the circumstances, I am satisfied that the removals were carried out as economically as possible consistent with the safety of the coaches.
It would be unrealistic to attempt to assess the value of the coaches as a museum exhibit.
