Top Ten Museums to Visit in Dublin: A Historian’s Guide to Ireland’s Rich Past

Greetings, enthusiasts of Irish heritage! Here is a list of my favourite museums to viist while you are here in Dublin:

1. National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology (Kildare Street)

Housed in a striking Palladian building since 1890, this museum showcases Ireland’s archaeological treasures, from 7000 BC to the 20th century. The Ór-Ireland’s Gold exhibit dazzles with prehistoric gold artifacts, while the Bog Bodies offer a chilling glimpse into Iron Age rituals.

2. National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History (Collins Barracks)

Located in a former military barracks, this site traces Ireland’s social, economic, and military evolution. Opened to the public in 1997, it features exquisite silver, ceramics, and weaponry, reflecting centuries of craftsmanship and conflict.

3. Kilmainham Gaol Museum

A formidable symbol of Ireland’s struggle for independence, this 18th-century prison detained leaders of the 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867, and 1916 rebellions. Its guided tours reveal the stark cells where figures like Robert Emmet and Patrick Pearse were held.

4. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Opened in 2016, this interactive museum explores the diaspora of over 10 million Irish, from the Famine to modern times. It highlights emigrants’ global impact as scientists, poets, and politicians, offering a fresh perspective on Irish identity.

5. Dublinia

Nestled near Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia immerses visitors in Viking and medieval Dublin, circa 9th to 16th centuries. Interactive exhibits, including a Viking warship model, bring to life the city’s founding by Norse settlers.

6. The Little Museum of Dublin

Housed in an 18th-century Georgian townhouse on St. Stephen’s Green, this museum, established in 2011, chronicles Dublin’s 20th-century story through citizen-donated artifacts. Guided tours cover the 1916 Rising and U2’s rise to fame.

7. Chester Beatty Library (Dublin Castle)

Founded in 1950 by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, this gem—named European Museum of the Year—displays a world-class collection of manuscripts, prints, and religious texts, reflecting global cultural exchanges with an Irish lens.

8. National Museum of Ireland – Natural History (Merrion Street)

Known as the “Dead Zoo,” this Victorian-era museum, opened in 1857, preserves over 10,000 taxidermied species. Its unchanged displays, including giant deer skeletons, offer a time capsule of 19th-century science.

9. GPO Witness History (O’Connell Street)

Marking the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, this museum, opened in 2016, occupies the General Post Office, a rebellion stronghold. It uses testimonials and memorabilia to narrate Ireland’s path to independence.

10. 14 Henrietta Street

This social history museum, opened in 2018, transforms a Georgian house into a window on Dublin’s tenement life from the 19th to mid-20th century. Guided tours vividly recount the shift from affluence to poverty.

These museums collectively weave Ireland’s multifaceted history, from ancient mounds to modern resilience. Come on tour to find out more!

Ruth