12 Museums in the South of Ireland

We already talked about the museums in Dublin and in the North of Ireland. But what about the South? Since, statistically, there are more people living in the south than in the north of Ireland, it is safe to say that there would be more museums as well. Babylon Radio took a look at 12 museums in the south of Ireland for you.

The Hunt Museum

The Hunt Museum is home to a diverse collection of antiquities and fine and decorative art. There are artefacts from Greece, Rome, Egypt and other countries. The museum also houses an important collection of Irish prehistoric archaeological material ranging from Mesolithic to the Iron Age as well as European material, including stone and wood statues, painted panels, jewellery, ceramics and crucifixes.
Price: 5.50-7.50€ pp. ; Children under the age of 16 free (Every Sunday free entry for all)

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat. 10am-5pm; Sun. 2pm-5pm
The Custom House, Rutland Street, Limerick
Tel.: +353 (0)61 312 833
Web: huntmuseum.com

Crawford Art Gallery

Crawford Art Gallery is a National Cultural Institution and regional art museum for Munster, dedicated to the visual arts, both historic and contemporary. Its collection comprises almost 4,000 works, ranging from 18th century Irish and European paintings and sculptures to conemporary video installations. The heart of the collection are a number of Greek and Roman sculpture casts.
Price: Admission is free

Opening Hours: Mon-Wed+Sat. 10am-5pm; Thu. 10am-8pm; Sun. 11am-5pm
Emmet Place, Cork, County Munster
Tel.: +353 (0)21 490 7866
Web: crawfordartgallery.ie

The Blasket Centre (Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir)

The Blasket Centre is a fascinating heritage and cultural centre/museum honoring the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until their evacuation in 1953. The Centre details the community’s struggle for existence, their language and culture, folklore, customs and their legacy. The community’s story is told using various exhibitons, interactive displays, artefacts, audio-visual presentations and artworks.
Price: 3-5€ pp.

Opening Hours: Everyday 10am-6pm (March-November)
Dún Chaoin, Dingle, County Kerry
Tel.: +353 (0)66 915 6444
Web: blasket.ie

Waterford Treasures

Waterford Treasures is a collection of three museums situated in the Viking Triangle in Waterford. They tell the 1100-year-old story of Waterford, from its foundation in 914 by Viking Sea pirates to the late 20th century. The massive stone fortress that is Reginald’s Tower houses the remains of Viking Waterford while the Medieval Museum showcases the treasures of Medieval Waterford. And the elegant neo-classical Bishop’s Palace is home to 18th, 19th and 20th century exhibitions.
Price: 6-10€ (free entry for children under 12); it is possible to buy Combi Tickets

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri. 9.15am-6pm; Sat. 9.30am-6pm; Sun. 11am-6pm
Viking Triangle, Waterford
Tel.: +353 (0)51 849 501
Web: waterfordtreasures.com

Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum

Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum is dedicated to preserving and telling the stories of the pioneering days of aviation and passenger travel across the North Atlantic and the rich maritime history of the River Shannon. It also shows how Foynes became one of the great aviation hubs from 1937-1945 and hear about all the famous people that landed there during World War II.
Price: 6-12€ (free entry for children under 5)

Opening Hours: Everyday 9.30am-5pm (March-mid November); 9.30am-6pm (June-August)
Aras Ide, Main Street, Ballynacragga, Foynes, County Limerick
Tel.: +353 (0)69 65416
Web: flyingboatmuseum.ie

Cobh Heritage Centre

Learn about the story of Irish emigration to many destinations in its various forms, hear about the ill-fated Titanic and the Lusitania and immerse yourself in Irish naval and military history at Cobh Heritage Centre. It gives visitors the opportunity to explore Cobh’s rich historic past and engage with the stories told.
Price: 6-10€ pp.

Opening Hours: 9.30am-6pm (April 15th-October 13th); 9.30am-5pm (October 14th-April 14th)
Deepwater Quay, Cobh, County Cork
Tel.: +353 (0)21 481 3591
Web: cobheritage.com

Johnstown Castle & Irish Agricultural Museum

Discover one of the most complete collections of farming and rural life in the country at the Irish Agricultural Museum. Its collection covers a broad range of items relating to farming, rural crafts, industries and country life. The museum is situated alongside Johnstown Castle which can be visited as well as the Gardens.
Price: 4-9€ pp. (free entry for children under 5)

Opening Hours: Everyday 9am-5.30pm (17th March-31st October); 9am-4pm (1st November-16th March)
Johnstown Castle Estate, County Wexford
Tel.: +353 (0)53 918 4671
Web: johnstowncastle.ie

Kerry County Museum

Through its array of artefacts, interactive galleries and hands-on activities, Kerry County Museum explores the rich archaeology and turbulent history of County Kerry. Each object in the museum gallery tells its own story, whether it’s an early Medieval brooch found in a bog after 1,000 years or dueling pistols belonging to the Liberator, Daniel O’Connell.
Price: 5€ pp. (free entry for children)

Opening Hours: Tue-Sat. 9.30am-5pm (January-May); Everyday 9.30am-5.30pm (June-August); Tue-Sat. 9.30am-5pm (September-December)
Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee, County Kerry
Tel.: +353 (0)66 712 7777
Web: kerrymuseum.ie

Allihies Copper Mine Museum

Visit Allihies Copper Mine Museum and discover the extraordinary story of exemplary engineering coupled with less than exemplary social conditions in a copper mine during the Industrial Revolution. The museum tells the story of copper mining at Allihies from the Bronze Age up to the 1960s through different artefacts, models, multimedia and a small library.
Price: 3-6€ pp.

Opening Hours: Everyday 10.30am-5pm (Easter-October)
Allihies, Beara, County Cork
Tel.: +353 (0)27 73218
Web: acmm.ie

Carlow County Museum

Spanning four galleries, the museum has a great collection of items and artefacts from Carlow County, including a 340-million-year old fossilized squid. Also on view is the original gallows trapdoor from the Carlow Gaol which was used during the 19th century for public executions.
Price: Admission is free

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat. 10am-5pm (June-August); 10am-4.30pm (September-May)
College Street, Carlow Town, County Carlow
Tel.: +353 (0)59 913 1554
Web: carlowmuseum.ie

Athy Heritage Centre – Shackleton Museum

Athy Heritage Centre was established to celebrate the vibrant socio-historic legacy of the area. The museum houses material and audio-visual programs that chronicle the ancient, medieval and post-16th century lives and achievements of the people of the town. It is also home to the only permanent exhibition devoted to Ernest Shackleton, one of the great explorers of the Antarctic.
Price: 3-5€ pp.

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri. 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm; Sun. 12pm-4pm
Town Hall, Emily Square, Athy, County Kildare
Tel.: +353 (0)59 863 3075
Web: shackletonmuseum.ie

Limerick Museum

Limerick Museum is the oldest local authority museum in Ireland with nearly 60,000 exhibits. Its aim is to preserve and display objects that tell the story of Limerick and its people. From Stone Age axes to medieval coins, from the civic sword of Queen Elizabeth I to medals presented to veterans of the 1916 Rising, Limerick Museum has them all.
Price: Admission is free

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri. 10am-5pm; Closed on Saturdays and Sundays
The Old Franciscan Friary, Henry Street, Limerick
Tel.: +353 (0)61 557 740
Web: museum.limerick.ie