There was cause for celebration at College Green this week, as Listen Now Again, the National Library of Ireland’s wonderful exhibition of Seamus Heaney’s archive, welcomed its 80,000th visitor! This latest success for the Listen Now Again team came just a couple of weeks after the happy news that the exhibition has been nominated in the International category of the prestigious UK Museum & Heritage Awards. The ceremony will take place in London on 15th May.
Launched last July by President Michael D. Higgins, Listen Now Again is the inaugural exhibition at the Bank of Ireland’s Cultural and Heritage Centre and its immersive exploration of the poet’s life and work, drawn from the NLI’s archive of manuscripts, notebooks and diaries – donated by Heaney – has been recognised everywhere from the BBC to the New York Times. The most moving tributes, however, have come from the visitors themselves, who leave their comments on a wall in the specially designed space at the exhibition’s conclusion, created by street artist Maser. Among our favourites was this one, which simply said, “I walk out with lightened heart”.
