Monday 24 February 2014

The Little Museum of Dublin

Last week, I was invited to a special French guided tour of the "Little Museum of Dublin", which is located in St Stephens Green, Dublin 2.

I've always loved museums and Irish history, so I was glad to be able to discover this place. 

The Little Museum of Dublin tells the story of Dublin in the 20th century. 

In the space of two rooms you can navigate your way from the early 1900's to the 1990's and see the evolution of the society, from a political, social and cultural point of view.

There are more than 5000 artefacts on display, from newspaper articles to photographs and rare objects like the stand used by John Fitzgerald Kennedy when he visited Ireland.

Stand used by JFK on his visit to Ireland
 
It seemed quite complicated to ring a friend back in the day...


On the second floor, there is a permanent exhibition about U2.  I really couldn't miss that, being a huge fan of the band. There are a lot of photograph, signed albums, concert tickets and other memorabilia on display. There's even a Trabant car in the middle of the room!

Overall, I really appreciated the visit and our guide, who was a French student doing a work experience at the museum, really did a fantastic job organising that evening (and I haven't been paid to say that!).

I really recommend this visit to anybody who is either from Dublin, and expat or just a tourist. I believe it is important to keep trace of the past to understand where we are now and how Dublin has evolved in the last hundred years.

Practical information:
The museum is open from 9:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday ( until 8pm on Thursdays)
General admission is 7 euros ( Discounts for over 65's and Students and free for under 3's and jobseekers)