Collins Barracks in Dublin City, named after famed Michael Collins, could be said to be the National Museum of Ireland's largest artefact, having had a unique history all of its own in another life. It housed both British Armed Forces and Irish army garrisons over three centuries. Built in 1702, the complex's main buildings are Neoclassical in style. Collins Barracks has been completely renovated and restored to become the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History, charting Ireland's economic, social, political and military progress through the ages.
Exhibits:
Irish Wars 1917 to 1923 and the 1916 Rising; Soldiers & Chiefs - Irish at war from 1550 to present day;
Photography of the revolutionary era in Ireland; 1000 years of Irish coin and currency; Irish country furniture and four centuries of furnishing;
The Way We Were - antique clothing and crafts; Sacred Art of Ireland 1600 to 1750; Irish silver exhibition; Eileen Gray exhibition;
A Dubliner's Collection of Asian Art - Albert Bender Collection; 21st century Irish Craft; Ib Jorgensen Fashion Retrospective; the Asgard, a restored sailboat with pivotal role in the 1914 Howth gun running story; and more.
Artefacts on display range from silver, ceramic and glassware pieces to weaponry, furniture, examples of folk life and costume. All of these are displayed with imagination in innovative and contemporary galleries, which entice you to go further, look harder and examine more closely.
- LGBTQIA+ Tours of Collins Barracks
AutumnLGBTQIA+ Tours of Collins Barracks This new guided LGBTQIA+ tour views the exhibitions through alternative lenses, bringing some hidden histories and perspectives to the fore.
- Azure Tour Dementia-Inclusive Tours
AutumnAzure Tour Dementia-Inclusive Tours Azure tours are a free gallery led experience specifically designed to support people living with dementia and their family, friends or carers, to engage with our exhibitions and enjoy a social museum experience.
- Midterm Family Drop-in at The Dead Zoo Lab
AutumnMidterm Family Drop-in at The Dead Zoo Lab Drop into the Discovery Zone in the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks this October midterm. Bring the family along and join a short activity to learn about our favourite objects in the handling collections.
- Bram Stoker Festival: Life, Disease & Death Tours of Collins Barracks
AutumnBram Stoker Festival: Life, Disease & Death Tours of Collins Barracks Discover the chills, ills, and kills of Collins Barracks on this special guided tour. Not for the faint of heart...or stomach! This Bram Stoker Festival, sink your teeth into the National Museum of Ireland’s collections at Collins Barracks.
- Bram Stoker Festival: Family Workshop Making Faces
AutumnBram Stoker Festival: Family Workshop Making Faces All treats, no tricks in this drop-in family mask-making workshop. Taking inspiration from the curious objects in our galleries, design and build unique faces or characters using a variety of techniques and materials.
- November Family Drop-ins at the Dead Zoo Lab
AutumnNovember Family Drop-ins at the Dead Zoo Lab Drop into the Discovery Zone in the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks this November. Bring the family along and join a short activity to learn about our favourite objects in the handling collections.
- Treasures from Home: Bring your cherished objects & explore their history with our museum curators
AutumnTreasures from Home: Bring your cherished objects & explore their history with our museum curators Bring your own personal objects to the newly opening Changing Ireland galleries and chat with curators about their stories.
- Science Week Family Drop-in at the Dead Zoo
AutumnScience Week Family Drop-in at the Dead Zoo Drop into the Discovery Zone in the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks this Science Week. Bring the family along and join a short activity to learn about our favourite objects in the handling collections.
