Museum Privacy Notice (last updated 1st September 2023)

The mission of Clare Museum is to collect, preserve, interpret and display the material culture relating to the history of County Clare, both in the museum building and online, as an educational resource and a socially inclusive cultural service for the people of Clare and visiting tourists. In order to do this, we are required to collect, process and use certain types of information about people who donate and lend materials to the museum and those who use the museum service. The information sought includes ‘personal data’ as defined by the Data Protection Acts and by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Clare County Museum (Data Controller) has created this privacy notice in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and transparency.

Clare County Council also has a privacy statement which is a general document about how we approach data protection as an organisation and is available on the council’s website https://www.clarecoco.ie/[info]/privacy-statement/ or on request from this department.

Contact Details

Clare County Council’s contact details in relation to the Museum service are as follows:

  • Telephone: 065 6823382
  • Email: claremuseum@clarecoco.ie
  • Post: Clare Museum, Arthur’s Row, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, V95 EC92

Data Protection Contact:

  • Telephone: 065 6846405
  • Email: DPA@clarecoco.ie
  • Post: Data Protection Officer, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare V95 DXP2

Legal basis for the processing of personal data as part of the provision of a Museum service

The local authority operates a museum in the interests of the local community including the cultural interests of that community.     The legal basis for the processing of personal data by the museum derives from Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR – the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller; in this case,

  • the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994 requires the recording of personal data as part of the acquisition process for archaeological objects acquired by the Museum and under the reporting process;
  • The Local Government Act 2001 as amended.

The museum operates CCTV in connection with safeguarding persons and museum property.  The legal basis for that processing of personal data (images of persons) derives from:

  • article 6(1)(c), the processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which the controller (the Council) is subject, namely, in this case, the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005, as amended.;
  • article 6(1)(f), processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller, namely for the security of the premises and its contents against theft and breaking and entering, and to support the discharge of the Council’s duty of care obligations to visitors.

Types of personal data we collect and the purpose for processing

In order to be accountable for all objects that enter the museum, we collect name, address and contact details of item donors.  This data is used to manage the collection and to provide evidence of ownership and traceability of the origin of objects. Information processed for these operational reasons includes:

  • name
  • address
  • email Address (optional)
  • telephone number

When an object goes on exhibition in the museum or has its image placed online, the acknowledgement you provide on the entry form will be used with it.

Recipients of the personal data

We may share your personal data with third parties. Axiell are a third party who provide the Museum’s collection management database and may access the database to provide technical support and maintenance.   A data processing agreement is in place.    Otherwise, a small number of Council officials have access to the database for operational reasons.  

On occasion, object donor names are published on our website for attribution reasons or are displayed in the museum alongside the object.

CCTV downloads may be provided to An Garda Siochana or the Health and Safety Authority in connection with their statutory functions, and then in line with the Council’s policy about CCTV surveillance systems.

How long will we retain your personal data?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which we collected it and for as long as we are legally required to under EU or Irish Law. We subscribe to the National Retention Policy for Local Authority Records

Personal data, that is images of people within and at the curtilage of the museum is also processed by a CCTV scheme.   CCTV recordings are retained for 28 days and then automatically deleted.

Your data rights

You have the right to request access to personal data held about you, rights of rectification and erasure, rights of restriction and objection and rights of portability.   To exercise these rights please see details in the attached link and the sample application forms on our website http://www.clarecoco.ie/your-council/how-we-manage-information/data-protection/ or available on request from the Data Protection office, see contact details below).

Please note that to help protect your privacy, we take steps to verify your identity before granting access to personal data.  Further details can be obtained from Clare County Council’s website.

To exercise these rights or if you have any questions on data protection compliance, you should contact Clare County Council Data Protection Officer at the following address:  Data Protection Officer, Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Clare V95 DXP2, Telephone number: (065) 6846405 or email: dpa@clarecoco.ie.

Right of complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commission

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the response you received from Clare County Council in relation to your request, then you are entitled to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commission who may investigate the matter for you. The Data Protection Commission website is www.dataprotection.ie or you can contact their Office at:

  • Lo Call Number: 1890 252 231
  • E-mail: info@dataprotection.ie
  • Postal Address: Data Protection Commission, Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois. R32 AP23.