Vol. 524 No. 3
166 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if all the artefacts relative to Dunmore Caves, County Kilkenny, including the items found recently and the ring pin found in 1997 will be displayed at the new visitors centre being constructed at the caves; the whereabouts of all of these items; and when they will be put on public display. [22421/00]
The hoard of Viking-age artefacts discovered at Dunmore Cave in 1999 is currently undergoing conservation treatment in the National Museum of Ireland, which should be completed by the end of 2001. The Deputy will appreciate that, generally speaking, a group of artefacts of national importance, such as these would be displayed as part of the museum's Viking Age Ireland Exhibition, which is the definitive national archaeological exhibition for this period. Some of the artefacts previously found at Dunmore Caves are already on display in this exhibition.
Should a request be received for a loan of artefacts from Dunmore Cave for display in the visitor centre there, it will be considered on the basis of the National Museum of Ireland's established policy on such loans. However, no such request has been received to date. The museum has previously supplied replicas of artefacts from the caves for display at the visitor centre and it is understood that this has proved a satisfactory arrangement. The National Museum of Ireland will be happy to facilitate any request for the provision of further replicas to the centre.
