Across their four branches, the National Museum of Ireland have something for everyone this May. Read below to find out about the various seasonal and special events that are worth visiting.
Museum of Decorative Arts and History, Collins Barracks
Stories Between Us (Exhibition, May 8 – August 31)
The Stories Between Us exhibition is an element of an inter-generational public art and oral history project funded by Grangegorman Development Agency and the National Museum. It involves curator and artist Janine Davidson, as well as local community art groups from Henrietta Adult Community Education, Phibsboro Active Retirement Association and St. Gabriel’s National School.
The project, inspired by the Grangegorman Development Agency’s ‘The Lives We Live’ initiative, involves the creation of a memory box of objects, which will be on exhibition, alongside a display of personal objects loaned by participants, at the museum
Tour of the Conversation Studios (Tour, May 16).
Go behind the scenes at the museum and take a tour of the conservation studios. See and hear about the important work conservators do for the objects in the museum’s collections and on exhibition. Booking is required.
Drawing Day 2019 with Sarah Bowie (Workshop, May 18)
Join illustrator Sarah Bowie at the museum to celebrate National Drawing Day. Discover fascinating tales from the museum’s collection, told trough the oldest and most effective form of storytelling. Learn how to craft your own narrative through this interactive workshop. Booking is required.
Women in Design (Conference, May 24 – 25)
This conference is both a celebration and an exploration of Irish women working in design and focuses on women designers in the museum’s collections. It aims to explore questions such as, does gender influence design and is it important that designers are remembered as women? A range of international and Irish speakers designers, design historians and writers will gather together to explore these themes. Booking is required. Full price of entry is €15. Concession is €10.
Tour of the Eileen Gray (Exhibition, May 26)
Join a public tour of the Eileen Gray gallery, exploring one of the most influential designers and architects of the 20th century. No booking is required. Places are allocated on a first-come basis 15 minutes before tour starts.
Culture Club: Tour of the Alison Lowry Exhibition with Artist Alison Lowry (Talk, May 31)
Artist Alison Lowry will give a tour of her exhibition, ‘[A]Dress’, and talk about her work processes and what inspires her practice. Booking is required.
Museum of Archaeology, Kildare Street
Culture Club: Early Bronze Age Metalworking and the Story of the Doonour Mould (Talk, May 10)
The Doonour stone mould was found by a farmer in 1966 while he was tilling in a field. Today, this mould is recognised as one of the most significant artefacts for early Bronze Age metallurgy in the National Museum’s collections. Sharon Weadick, Curator in the Irish Antiquities Division, will retell the story of its discovery and explain how it adds to knowledge and understanding of early Bronze Age metalworking. Booking is required. Places are limited. Please email [email protected] or call 01 6486 334.
Tour- Off the Cuff? Clothing through the Ages at the National Museum (Tour, May 14)
As part of the Bealtaine Festival, take this special tour of the museum galleries to examine the archaeological evidence for clothing from Stone Age to medieval times. Learn about how clothes were created and cared for in the past, and discover how people used clothes and ‘jewellery’ to honour the gods, mark their social status, or just protect their ankles from the mud. Booking is required. Please email [email protected] or call 01 6486 334. There will be a sign language interpretation of the same event on May 25.
Drawing Day: Megalithic Big Draw (Drop-in Activity, May 18)
Take part in the museum’s big draw and decorate giant paper with megalithic and cave art. Learn all about the different designs used by people in the Stone Age in prehistoric tombs in Ireland and create your own version. No booking is required. All ages welcome.
Museum of Natural History, Merrion Street
Seasonal Activity Sheet – Summer Sun (Drop-in Activity, May 1 – 31)
For some animals, it is warm all year long, depending on where they live. Follow the Summer Sun trail to find out more. Copies of this activity sheet trail are available in the Reception Area and in the Irish Room. Don’t forget your pencil!
Bealtaine Festival 2019: Ode to the Dead Zoo (Drop-in Activity, May 30)
Drop into a poetry morning upstairs in the Reading Area at the Dead Zoo and get inspiration from a Victorian collection of taxidermy, skeletons and fossils. Create a phrase and contribute to a group poem curated by poet Seán Hewitt. No booking is required but there may be a short waiting time.
Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park – Mayo
Mapping and Recording Local Graveyards (Talk, May 11)
This short course uses case studies to introduce modern methods of graveyard mapping and recording memorial inscriptions. Demonstrations will include photographic methods of enhancing weathered or worn inscriptions using low cost and open source software. The archaeology and history of Turlough Graveyard will be discussed in terms of how modern mapping and recording methods could be applied. Booking is required.
Knitting & Crochet Circle: Summer Knits for Bealtaine (Drop-in Activity, May 11)
Join the museum this summer and work on your knitting and crochet skills. Start a new project or get help finishing an old one. Exchange ideas and tips. Learn a new skill for life. Beginners are welcome. No booking is required.
Music Circle (Drop-in Activity, May 18)
Dust down that fiddle, polish that whistle and join the music circle to practice, share, play tunes and songs. No booking is required.
Boxing: Good For Your Body and Your Soul (Demonstration, May 18)
Join the Mayo Sports Partnership and some of the members of Castlebar’s boxing clubs to learn more about the sport of boxing. Discover some of its history, its importance within the Traveller Community and how it helps promote healthy living for both your body and your mind. No booking is required.
Connacht Textile Crafters (Drop-in Activity, May 25)
The talented Connacht Textile Crafters (CTC) are holding two open sessions looking at fabric embellishment techniques, be it felting, crochet, knitting or embroidery. The CTC work in a range of textile crafts, using both traditional and contemporary techniques. No booking is required.
A Walk in the Woods (Family Event, May 25)
Join a member of the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Ballycroy Education Team for a walk around the grounds of Turlough Park. Discover what creatures live in the shadows of the woods, on the banks of the river and in the depths of the man-made lake. Booking is required.
Bealtaine: Electric Irish Homes Textile Project Open Day (Opening, May 30)
To mark the 2019 Bealtaine Festival, the Museum of Country Life invites people to a special event to celebrate creativity in older age. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the ‘Electric Irish Homes Textile Project’ and to meet all those involved. You can also see a short documentary video highlighting the participants’ journey. No booking is required.
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