The National Museum service does not operate on a county by county basis. The statutory responsibility for services in this area is primarily for local authorities acting under local authority legislation.
However, short and long-term loans of museum artefacts between the National Museum and other museums within Ireland are regularly negotiated. For example, a number of long-term loans, some of them substantial, have been made and are continuing in respect of museums in many counties including Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick, Offaly, Tipperary and Wicklow. All the museums in question have met the National Museum's criteria for sustaining material on long-term loan. In addition, Waterford Heritage Museum was recently advised on the proposed conservation of historic items of clothing associated with Thomas Francis Meagher. Correspondence was also entered into with the Waterford county manager concerning the exhibition, storage and conservation needs of a large and important body of archaeological material excavated in the city over recent years.
Professional and curatorial assistance and advice is regularly given to a large number of local museums, including consultation concerning archaeological discoveries in their areas. These include county museums in Cavan, Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Monaghan and a heritage centre in Laois. As part of the general educational function of the National Museum of Ireland, staff regularly give lectures to local archaeological and historical societies, university seminars and school groups and conferences.