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Carlow County Museum
Carlow Town, Co. Carlow
Family friendly
Free to visit
Rainy days
Carlow County Museum in the centre of Carlow Town's Cultural Quarter, is a popular tourist attraction and local resource for anyone interested in Carlow's fascinating past. Discover the history and heritage of the area through their range of displays and exhibitions.

Carlow County Museum is a valuable historical resource and popular tourist attraction in Carlow Town centre. A range of exhibitions and artefacts displayed over four galleries enable visitors to discover the heritage of the local area and include:

* The 6m carved pulpit from Carlow Cathedral.

* Items from Carlow’s Sugar Factory, which operated for almost 80 years.

* The smoking pipe of Captain Myles Keogh, killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

* Items relating to John Tyndall, the Carlow scientist who discovered the greenhouse effect.

* A 340 million year old fossilized squid.

* A display based upon St Willibrord, an Anglo-Saxon monk who trained in Carlow before becoming the Patron Saint of Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

* Kevin Barry's last cigarette and death mask. Kevin Barry was an 18 year old medical student who was executed for his role in the Irish War of Independence.

* The original 19th century printing press used by The Nationalist newspaper, and so much more.

Contact details
Carlow Tourist Office, College St, Carlow, Ireland
Visit duration

We recommend planning to spend 1 to 1.5 hours here.

More to discover
Free things to doAltamont Gardens

The Altamont Gardens, regarded as the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown, lie in County Carlow. The romantic 16-hectare estate, not far from Tullow, features a mix of native and exotic plants and makes a great destination for a family outing.

Free things to doCarlow Cathedral

Located adjacent to St Patrick’s College in Carlow Town, this early 19th-century cathedral was the first to be built after Catholic emancipation. It contains a statue dedicated to Bishop James Doyle, a champion of Catholic rights, who is buried there.

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