Across their four branches, the National Museum of Ireland have something for everyone this March. Read below to see part two of the various seasonal and special events that are worth visiting. The first half of this article can be found here.
Museum of Decorative Arts and History, Collins Barracks
English and Irish speakers alike on March 18 can join museum guides Caitlin White and Declan Brady on a bilingual tour of the ‘Proclaiming a Republic: The 1916 Rising’ exhibition to celebrate festival Seachtain na Gaeilge. Families are welcome and admission is free. No booking is required but places are allocated 15 minutes before the tour starts.
Meanwhile, visit the museum’s website for more details of the various trails they will be offering across their four branches this month in Irish to also mark Seachtain na Gaeilge.
The museum’s culture club invites members to explore and enjoy the collections through a series of specially arranged guided tours and activities in the company of staff followed by ‘Tea & chat’ and an opportunity to mingle. On March 29, learn about Stories Between Us, an inter-generational oral history project and exhibition with artist Janine Davidson and the project participants. Admission is free though booking is required. Contact [email protected]
Lastly on March 31, join a tour of the exhibition Recovered Voices which explores the experience of Irish men and women during World War One. Admission is free and no booking required. Places are allocated on a first-come basis 15 minutes before the tour starts.
Museum of Archaeology, Kildare Street
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, ages 8+ can drop by the museum between March 15 – 18 and join in a special trail to discover all about the Patron Saint of Ireland. Again admission costs nothing. Booking is not necessary.
Also on March 16, join museum educator, Trisha Ryan, on a specialised tour exploring the Patron Saints of Ireland. Come and see the relics of St. Patrick including St. Patrick’s Bell Shrine and Tooth Shrine and other relics of saints of Ireland such as St. Brigid’s Shoe Shrine and the Crozier of St. Columbia. Admission is free. No booking is required. Places will be allocated on a first come basis.
In 1854 the greatest hoard of Bronze Age gold work ever found in Ireland was discovered during the construction of the Limerick to Ennis railway. 160 years later this March 20 lecture by Mary Cahill, Adjunct Professor, School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway; former Keeper of Irish Antiquities National Museum of Ireland looks at what happened at the time of discovery, the dispersal of the hoard, the finders and the gold’s significance. Admission is free though booking is required. Email [email protected] or call 01 6486 332.
On March 23, falconers Ellen Hagen from the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, Norway, and Hillary White of the Irish Hawking Club will explain the archaeological and historical evidence for falconry in Norway and Ireland, from medieval to modern times. Ages 7+ are encouraged. Admission is free. Booking is required. Email [email protected] or call 01 6486 334
During the mid-third millennium BC, people across Europe began using an international suite of novel objects typified by distinctive ceramics known as Beaker pottery. Archaeologists have labelled this the Beaker phenomenon, because so many aspects of this have defied explanation including how did this happen? What was the allure of these objects? What did they represent?
A March 27 talk by Dr Neil Carlin, School of Irish Archaeology, UCD, will explore the adoption of these cultural innovations in Ireland and outline how this helps us to answer these questions. Admission is free. Booking is required. Email [email protected] or call 01 6486 332.
Museum of Natural History, Merrion Street
Spring has sprung. So why not drop in to the museum and try their Spring Activity Trail from March 1 – 31. Aimed at families, admission is free and no booking is required.
Meanwhile, falconers Hagen and White will also be appearing in Merrion Street March 23 earlier for the same lecture as in Kildare Street. This time though see up-close a real live falcon, discover this predator’s top hunting techniques and learn about the different types of birds of prey in Ireland, For this drop-in event, admission is free. No booking is required.
Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park – Mayo
All through March in Mayo, Turlough Park’s ‘Travellers’ Journey’ will explore the rich culture, traditions and crafts of the west of Ireland Traveller community. This free exhibition aims to encourage discussion and appreciation of the unique heritage and ethnicity of Travellers. On March 23, there will also be a special free lecture (contact Turlough Park for booking) on Irish Traveller folk cures and herb lore.
Throughout March, Turlough Park will also host exhibition ‘The Enemy Within – the Spanish Flu in County Mayo 1918-19’. The free event will explore the folk medicines and rudimentary cures used by the public to combat the flu epidemic. It will be on Level A in the Museum of Country Life until April 2019.
On March 16, meanwhile, dust down that fiddle, polish that whistle and join the museum’s music circle to practice, share, play tunes and songs. Admission is free. No booking is required.
Lastly, on March 30 come along and meet the talented Connacht Textile Crafters (CTC) for St. Brigid’s themed open sessions. The CTC work in a range of textile crafts, using both traditional and contemporary techniques. Admission is free. No booking is required.
Check out the museum’s site for more information and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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