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The National Museum of Ireland was founded under the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act of 1877. Previously, the Museum's Collections had been divided between Leinster House, originally the headquarters of the Royal Dublin Society, and the Natural History Museum in Merrion Street, built as an extension to Leinster House in 1856–7.
What is the history of the National Museum of Ireland?
The collections of both the RIA and RDS formed the basis for the Archaeology and History section of the Museum at Kildare Street. This is the original site opened in 1890 as the Dublin Museum of Science and Art in the building designed by Sir Thomas Newenham Deane and his son, Thomas Manly Deane.
What is the archaeology and history section of the Dublin Museum?
Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Museum of Ireland, Merrion Street. RTE radio 1: Chopped, Pickled and Stuffed RTÉ produced and broadcast a 12 programme series for radio, entitled "Chopped, Pickled and Stuffed", exploring different aspects of the museum's collection.
Where can I find media related to National Museum of Ireland?
It was Giescke who first referred to the museum as the "National Museum of Ireland", in 1832, in his catalogue of the entomology and ornithology specimens. After Giescke's death in 1833, John Scouler was appointed curator in 1834. During this time the collections were open to public two days a week from noon to 3pm, and to students at all times.
Who was the first curator of the National Museum of Ireland?
Who built the National Museum of Ireland?
The original buildings were designed by Col. Thomas Burgh and the complex, which includes 18th and 19th-Century buildings, housed troops for three centuries.
How was the National Museum built?
The blueprint for establishing the National Museum in Delhi was prepared by the Maurice Gwyer Committee in May 1946. An Exhibition of Indian Art, consisting of selected artefacts from various museums of India was organized by the Royal Academy, London with the cooperation of Government of India and Britain.
How many national museums are in Ireland?
four museumsOur four museums Each of our museums offers a unique experience.
How much is the National Museum of Ireland?
freeAdmission to all four sites of the National Museum of Ireland is free.
How many floors are in the National Museum?
three floorsAs maps of the original plan suggest, roughly a quarter portion remains to be added for the completion of the building. The National Museum building has three floors with galleries radiating from a central garden court.
Why was the National Museum of Natural History built?
The Natural History Building (as the National Museum of Natural History was originally known) opened its doors to the public on March 17, 1910, in order to provide the Smithsonian Institution with more space for collections and research.
How long did the Book of Kells take to make?
seventy-five yearsIt derives its name from the Irish village of Kells, located northwest of Dublin, where the book was kept in the monastery for several hundred years. The Book was written around 800 A. D., and scholars estimate that it took seventy-five years to complete.
Who owns Dublin Castle?
IrelandMost of the current construction dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland....Dublin CastleOwnerIrelandGrounds44,000 square metres (11 acres)Websitewww.dublincastle.ie10 more rows
How was the Book of Kells found?
The book is believed to have been brought to Kells following a Viking raid on the monastery on the island of Iona, Scotland, in 806.
Where is the Tara Brooch kept?
the national museum of IrelandDating back to around 700AD, the Tara Brooch is an elaborate and impressive Celtic Brooch that was first discovered in 1850 in Bettystown, County Meath, and which today can be found displayed in the national museum of Ireland in Dublin.
How long does the National Museum of Ireland take?
3 hours there and enjoyed it all. If you are really into the museum you can spend more time. I would suggest you try to visit and plan around 2 hours, with some level of flexibility if you want to stay for a longer period.
Are there toilets in the Natural History Museum?
Toilets. All toilets are open.
When did the Dublin Museum of Science change its name?
In 1900 control passed to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction and in 1908 its name was changed from ‘the Dublin Museum of Science and Art’ to the ‘National Museum of Science and Art’.
When was the Museum of Ireland transferred to the Taoiseach's Department?
Responsibility for the Museum passed to the Department of Education in 1924; in 1984 it was transferred to the Taoiseach’s Department and, in 1993 to the new Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (later Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands).
What was the name of the building that was used to house the new parliament?
Post Independence. After the foundation of the Free State in 1922, the old RDS buildings of Leinster House (which had been transferred to state ownership along with that institution’s museum collections in 1877) were chosen to house the new parliament (Dáil).
What was the effect of the Science and Art Museums Act of 1877?
A number of developments led to the Science and Art Museums Act of 1877, which had the effect of transferring the buildings and collections of the RDS to state ownership. The collections were further enhanced by the transfer of other notable collections from institutions such as the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
Where is the RDS Museum?
The old RDS museum on the Merrion Street side of Leinster House - erected with government assistance and opened in 1856 - was devoted to natural history. It was dominated by zoology throughout much of its subsequent history and had an annexe devoted to geology. The Kildare Street building. The building on Kildare Street was designed by Thomas ...
When was the Museum of Science and Art founded?
History of the Organisation. The Museum of Science and Art, Dublin was founded on 14 August 1877 by act of Parliament. The decision to establish a state-run museum arose from requests by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) for continued government funding for its expanding museum activities. A number of developments led to the Science ...
What is the National Cultural Institutions Act?
The National Cultural Institutions Act 1997 provided for the setting up of the Museum as a non-commercial semi-state body under an autonomous Board and the transfer of staff out of the Civil Service. The first Board was appointed on 2 May 2005. History and Architecture of NMI - Archaeology. History and Architecture of NMI - Country Life.
Introduction
The Museum of Archaeology is home to the Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland. It is the national repository for all archaeological objects found in Ireland.
The Building and its Collections
The National Museum of Ireland was founded under the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act of 1877. Previously, the Museum's Collections had been divided between Leinster House, originally the headquarters of the Royal Dublin Society, and the Natural History Museum in Merrion Street, built as an extension to Leinster House in 1856–7.
Visiting the Museum
Sheet Bronze Cauldron from Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. On display at the Museum of Archaeology. NMI IA: 1933.119
'Museum of A Museum'
Design and Building
- The building was designed by architect Frederick Clarendon to be in harmony with the planned National Gallery of Ireland on the other side of Leinster Lawn. The foundation stone was laid on 15 March 1856 and the building was completed in August 1857 by contractors Gilbert Cockburn & Son. It formed an annexe to Leinster House and was connected to it...
Expansion in 1877
- In 1877, ownership of the Museum and its collections was transferred to the state. New funding was provided for the building, and new animals were added from an expanding British empire during the great days of exploration.
New Entrance in 1909
- In 1909, a new entrance was constructed at the east end of the building facing Merrion Street. This reversed the direction from which visitors approached the exhibitions and explains why some of the large exhibits still face what appears today to be the back of the building: it was too difficult to turn the whales and elephants around to face the new entrance.
Statue of Thomas Heazle Parke
- A statue of Victorian surgeon and explorer, Thomas Heazle Parke, stands guard at the front of the Natural Building building. Parke acted as surgeon to an expedition led by Henry Morton Stanley in 1887. The expedition crossed Africa on an 8,000 kilometre journey up the Congo and through the Ituri rainforest before reaching Lake Albert.
Re-Opening in 2010
- In April 2010, the Museum reopened after restoration works that included the reinstatement of the grand stone staircase, open to the public for the first time since 2007. There is now a ramp to the front door and a wheelchair accessible toilet. The Discovery Zone allows visitors to handle taxidermy and bones. The Reading Area, at first floor level, offers a more sedate experience.
Overview
The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History (Irish: Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann – Stair an Dúlra), sometimes called the Dead Zoo, a branch of the National Museum of Ireland, is housed on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland. The museum was built in 1856 for parts of the collection of the Royal Dublin Society and the building and collection were later passed to the State.
The Natural History Collection comprised sub-collections for zoology, geology and botany; the g…
Collection and exhibits
The Natural History Collection comprises over 2 million items in the fields of zoology and geology, a million of the specimens being insects. There was previously also a botanical collection but this was transferred to the National Botanic Gardens in 1970.
As with many other natural history museums, the majority of specimens are n…
History
The museum was built in 1856 to house the Royal Dublin Society's growing collections, which had expanded continually since the late 18th century. In 1792 the Society purchased the collection of Nathaniel Gottfried Leske under the instruction of Richard Kirwan. Leske's collection was one of Europe's largest natural history collections. From this core collection, the Professor of Mineralo…
Governance and operations
The National Museum of Ireland has a unified organisation structure and budget, with a single overall Director, a Keeper for each major collection, including Natural History, and to some extent also location, and shared registration, education, IT and administrative functions. Also shared is the facilities function, which provides the attendants for the galleries.
Staffing has been severely restricted for many years, and at the Natural History Museum these li…
Popular culture
In 2020, the children's author and illustrator Peter Donnelly released the book The Dead Zoo, based on the building and its collections. One of a series of books written by school students, In Pieces, also uses the museum as a setting.
Filming and weddings
The museum has been used as a filming location, particularly for Victorian period dramas. These include an episode of Ripper Street, from season 2, in 2013. In 2015 Penny Dreadful filmed in the museum for season 3, with the museum standing in for the Natural History Museum, London.
In 2018, the museum also became a wedding venue; the first wedding, betwee…
See also
• Dublin Zoo
External links
• Official website
• Collections Research
• RTE radio 1: Chopped, Pickled and Stuffed RTÉ produced and broadcast a 12 programme series for radio, entitled "Chopped, Pickled and Stuffed", exploring different aspects of the museum's collection.