Museum sights in Ireland
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Chester Beatty Library
The world-famous library, in the grounds of Dublin Castle, houses the collection of mining engineer Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968), bequeathed to the Irish State on his death. And we're immensely grateful for Chester's patronage: spread over two floors, the breathtaking collection includes more than 20,000 manuscripts, rare books, miniature paintings, clay tablets, costumes and other objects of artistic, historical and aesthetic importance. The library runs tours at 1pm on Wednesdays and at 3pm and 4pm on Sundays.
The Artistic Traditions Gallery on the 1st floor begins with memorabilia from Beatty's life, before embarking on an exploration of the art of Mughal…
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Museum of Free Derry
The Museum of Free Derry, just off Rossville St, chronicles the history of the Bogside, the civil rights movement and the events of Bloody Sunday through photographs, newspaper reports, film clips and the accounts of first-hand witnesses, including some of the original photographs which inspired the murals of the People's Gallery.
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Kilmainham Gaol
If you have any desire to understand Irish history – especially the juicy bits about resistance to English rule – then a visit to this former prison is an absolute must. This threatening grey building, built between 1792 and 1795, has played a role in virtually every act of Ireland's painful path to independence.
The uprisings of 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916 ended with the leaders' confinement here. Robert Emmet, Thomas Francis Meagher, Charles Stewart Parnell and the 1916 Easter Rising leaders were all visitors, but it was the executions in 1916 that most deeply etched the jail's name into the Irish consciousness. Of the 15 executions that took place between 3 May…
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National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History
No wonder the British army were so reluctant to pull out of Ireland, when they were occupying this magnificent space, the oldest army barracks in Europe. The building – the museum bit can wait – was completed in 1704 according to the design of Thomas Burgh, whose CV also includes the Old Library in Trinity College and St Michan’s Church. Its central square held six entire regiments and is a truly awesome space, surrounded by arcaded colonnades and blocks linked by walking bridges. Following the handover to the new Irish government in 1922, the barracks was renamed to honour Michael Collins, a hero of the struggle for independence, who was killed that year in the…
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National 1798 Rebellion Centre
A visit here before climbing Vinegar Hill greatly enhances its impact. The centre's exhibits cover the French and American revolutions that sparked Wexford's abortive uprising against British rule in Ireland, before chronicling what was one of the most bloodthirsty battles of the 1798 Rebellion, and a turning point in the struggle. A month later, English troops attacked and forced the rebels to retreat, massacring hundreds of women and children in the 'follow-up' operation. Interactive displays include a chessboard with pieces representing key figures in the Rising, and a multiscreen recreation of the finale atop a virtual Vinegar Hill. From Abbey Sq walk out of town…
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Dublinia & the Viking World
A must for the kids, the old Synod Hall attached to Christ Church Cathedral is home to this seemingly perennial exhibit on medieval Dublin, complete with models, music, streetscapes and interactive displays. The newly added Viking World tells the story of Dublin’s 9th- and 10th-century Scandinavian invaders and the city they built in their wake. Finally, you can climb neighbouring St Michael’s Tower for views over the city to the Dublin Hills.
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Old Jameson Distillery
Smithfield’s biggest draw is devoted to uisce beatha (ish-kuh ba-ha, ‘the water of life’). The whowhatnow? It’s whiskey, the essential Irish spirit, which doesn’t quite bestow life, but, if drunk enough, will undoubtedly take it away. Here, in the original home of one of its most famous and renowned distillers, you can get an excellent introduction to the history and culture of this most potent of drinks. Serious fans might be put off by the slickness of the tour and museum, which shepherds visitors through a compulsory tour of the re-created factory and into the ubiquitous gift shop.
The museum occupies a section of the old distillery, which kept the capital in…
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Ulster Museum
Recently reopened after a major revamp, the Ulster Museum is now one of the North's don't-miss attractions. You could spend several hours browsing the beautifully designed displays, but if you're pressed for time don't miss the Armada Room; Takabuti, a 2500-year-old Egyptian mummy; the Bann Disc; and the Snapshot of an Ancient Sea Floor.
On the ground floor, a potted history of the Troubles leads up to the first-floor History Zone where the Armada Room houses a display of artefacts and jewellery recovered from the 1588 wreck of the Girona and other Spanish Armada vessels. Among its many treasures is a 16th-century ruby-encrusted golden salamander, bronze cannons, and…
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Cobh Museum
A small but lively museum is housed in the 19th-century Scottish Presbyterian church overlooking the train station. It holds model ships, paintings, photographs and curious artefacts tracing Cobh's history.
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National Museum of Archaeology
The mother of Irish museums and the country’s most important cultural institution was established in 1977 as the primary repository of the nation’s archaeological treasures. The collection is so big, however, that it has expanded beyond the walls of this superb purpose-built building next to the Irish parliament into three other separate museums – the stuffed beasts of the Natural History Museum, the decorative arts section at Collins Barracks and a country life museum in County Mayo, on Ireland’s west coast.
They’re all fascinating, but the star attractions are all here, mixed up in Europe’s finest collection of Bronze- and Iron-Age gold artefacts, the most…
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Three connected conical huts near the entrance house the museum and echo the design of early monastic dwellings. The centre's 20-minute audiovisual show is an excellent introduction to the site.
The exhibition area contains the original high crosses (replicas have been put in their former locations outside), and various artefacts uncovered during excavation, including silver pins, beaded glass and an ogham stone. It also contains the largest collection of early Christian grave slabs in Europe. Many are in remarkable condition with inscriptions clearly visible, often starting with oroit do or ar (a prayer for).
Well done to the museum for their moody display: there's a real…
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Tower Museum
Just inside the Magazine Gate is the award-winning Tower Museum , housed in a replica 16th-century tower house. Head straight to the fifth floor for a view from the top of the tower, then work your way down through the excellent Armada Shipwreck exhibition, which tells the story of La Trinidad Valenciera - a ship of the Spanish Armada which was wrecked at Kinnagoe Bay in Donegal in 1588.
It was discovered by the City of Derry Sub-Aqua Club in 1971 and excavated by marine archaeologists. On display are bronze guns, pewter tableware and personal items - a wooden comb, an olive jar, a shoe sole - recovered from the site, including a 2.5-tonne siege gun bearing the arms of…
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Waterford Museum of Treasures
Waterford Museum of Treasures is one of Ireland's widest-ranging and most hi-tech museums. It's a dazzling, intriguing, provoking, and at times plain bewildering maze of metal, glass and state-of-the-art audiovisual displays. The fun begins on the 3rd floor, from where (plugged into an audioguide) you follow the exhibitions as they wend their way through history.
A highlight is the 'Viking longship', a rocking ride narrated by Waterford's Nordic forebears, who call themselves 'children of the raven' but sound more like comedic Scotsmen. You can also attend the marriage of Strongbow and local princess Aiofe, who promises to teach her Anglo-Norman lord how the Irish feast.…
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Douglas Hyde Interpretive Centre
The life of Roscommon native Dr Douglas Hyde (1860–1949), poet, writer and first president of Ireland, is celebrated at the Douglas Hyde Interpretive Centre. Outside the political arena, Hyde co-founded the Gaelic League in 1893 and spent a lifetime gathering Gaelic poems and folklore that might otherwise have been lost forever.
The centre is housed in the former Protestant church at Frenchpark, 12km southwest of Boyle on the R361. Call ahead to make sure it's open.
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Hunt Museum
Although named for its benefactors, this museum might well be named for a treasure hunt. Visitors are encouraged to open drawers and otherwise poke around the finest collection of Bronze Age, Iron Age and medieval treasures outside Dublin. The 2000-plus items are from the private collection of the late John and Gertrude Hunt, antique dealers and consultants, who championed historic preservation throughout the region. Look out for a tiny but exquisite bronze horse by da Vinci, and a Syracusan coin thought to have been one of the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas for his betrayal of Christ. Cycladic sculptures, a Giacometti drawing and paintings by Renoir, Picasso and Jack…
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National Print Museum
You don’t have to be into printing to enjoy this quirky little museum, where personalised guided tours are offered in a delightfully casual and compelling way. First watch a video relating to printing and its place in Irish history, then take a wander amid the smell of ink and metal, and through the various antique presses that are still worked for small jobs by a couple of retired printers doing it for the love of the craft. The guides are excellent and can tailor the tours to suit your special interests – for example, anyone interested in history can get a detailed account of the difficulties encountered by the rebels of 1916 when they tried to get the proclamation…
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Workhouse Museum
Across the river from the walled city lies the largely Protestant Waterside district. At the height of the Troubles, many Protestants living in and around the Bogside moved across the river to escape the worst of the violence. Here you'll find the Workhouse Museum housed in Derry's original 1840-1946 workhouse.
Daily life at the workhouse for the 800 inmates was designed to encourage them to leave as soon as possible, alive or dead. One of the exhibits is the grisly horse-drawn hearse used to carry away the corpses.
Other displays cover the Potato Famine, while the excellent Atlantic Memorial exhibition tells the story of the WWII Battle of the Atlantic and the major role…
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Ledwidge Museum
Simple yet moving, the Ledwidge Museum is located in a quaint cottage that was the birthplace of poet Francis Ledwidge (1891–1917). He died on the battlefield at Ypres, having survived Gallipoli and Serbia. A keen political activist, Ledwidge was thwarted in his efforts to set up a branch of the Gaelic League in the area, but found an outlet in verse.
The museum provides an insight into Ledwidge's life and works, and the cottage itself is an evocative example of how farm labourers lived in the 19th century. It is about 1.5km east of Slane on the Drogheda road (N51). Opening hours can be erratic – call ahead.
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Connemara Heritage & History Centre
Farmer Dan O'Hara lived here until his eviction from the farm and subsequent emigration to New York, where he ended up selling matches on the street. Its present owners have restored the property, turning it into a window onto lost traditional ways, with demonstrations of bog cutting, thatching, sheep shearing and so on. It's possible to stay at the farmhouse in more comfort than Dan ever enjoyed. The homestead is 7km east of Clifden on the N59.
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Story of Banking
The Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, which hosts a variety of cultural events, including classical concerts and regular free lunchtime recitals and poetry readings. It also screens an eight-minute film about banking and Irish history, called the Story of Banking. An exhibition features a 10kg silver-gilt mace that was made for the House of Commons and retained by the Speaker of the House when the parliament was dissolved.
It was later sold by his descendants and bought back from Christies in London by the Bank of Ireland in 1937.
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Armagh County Museum
The city museum displays prehistoric axe heads, items found in bogs, corn dollies and straw-boy outfits, and military costumes and equipment. Don't miss the gruesome cast-iron skull that once graced the top of the Armagh gallows.
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Fernhill House: The People’s Museum
Beyond Shankill Rd, about 500m up Glencairn Rd, is Fernhill House: The People’s Museum. Set in a wealthy Victorian merchant’s villa, the museum contains a recreation of a 1930s working-class terraced house, exhibitions detailing the history of the Shankill district and the Home Rule crisis, and the largest collection of Orange Order memorabilia in the world. To get there, take bus 11B, 11C or 11D from Wellington Pl, at the north-west corner of Donegall Sq.
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Croke Park Experience
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) considers itself not just the governing body of a bunch of Irish games but also the stout defender of a cultural identity that is ingrained in Ireland’s sense of self. To get an idea of just how important the GAA is, a visit to the Croke Park Experience is a must, though it will help if you’re any kind of sporting enthusiast. The twice-daily tours (except match days) of the impressive Cork Park stadium are excellent.
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Cork City Gaol
Faint-hearted souls may find this imposing former prison a little grim, but it's certainly worth a visit, if only to get a sense of how crap life was for prisoners a century ago. An audio tour guides you around the restored cells, which feature models of suffering prisoners and sadistic-looking guards. It's very moving, bringing home the harshness of the 19th-century penal system. The most common crime was that of poverty; many of the inmates were sentenced to hard labour for stealing loaves of bread.
The prison closed in 1923, reopening in 1927 as a radio station, so the Governor's House has been converted into the Radio Museum Experience. Alongside collections of…
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Monaghan County Museum & Gallery Museum
Over 70,000 artefacts from the Stone Age to modern times are housed at this excellent regional museum. Its crowning glory is the 14th-century Cross of Clogher, an oaken altar cross encased in decorative bronze panels. Other impressive finds include the Lisdrumturk and Altartate Cauldrons, medieval crannóg artefacts, and some frightening knuckle-dusters and cudgels relating to the border with the North.
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