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.
- Changing Ireland Guided Tours
Family funChanging Ireland Guided Tours Visitors will explore the new Changing Ireland Galleries and encounter the everyday or extraordinary objects that witnessed or contributed to the transformation of Ireland over the last 150 years.
- Wider Than Pictures 2026
Wider Than Pictures 2026 Wider Than Pictures is back for their annual summer series at National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks this summer!
- Hands-on History - A Changing Ireland: People, Protest and Progress
AutumnHands-on History - A Changing Ireland: People, Protest and Progress This Culture Night, the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks invites visitors to take part in an engaging, hands-on session. In this session, we will explore the social movements that changed Ireland.
- Dublin by Dusk A Fair Exchange Writing Workshop
Free things to doDublin by Dusk A Fair Exchange Writing Workshop 'A Fair Exchange' offers a series of free, drop-in writing workshops at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. On the last Thursday of each month from September 2026 – March 2027, part of Dubin by Dusk.
- Irish Sign Language Interpreted Tours of Collins Barracks
AutumnIrish Sign Language Interpreted Tours of Collins Barracks Join us for a range of regular guided tours in Collins Barracks, interpreted in Irish Sign Language. These tours are for all visitors, creating a more inclusive and accessible experience for our Deaf and hard of hearing visitors.
- Dublin by Dusk: Crafted Encounters - Embroidery Workshop: Make a Celtic Bat
AutumnDublin by Dusk: Crafted Encounters - Embroidery Workshop: Make a Celtic Bat Join us for a hands-on embroidery class where you’ll learn how to stitch a Celtic bat design with BeAlice. You’ll learn traditional and modern embroidery techniques while creating a Celtic bat to celebrate Halloween.
- Dublin by Dusk: Crafted Encounters: Traditional Korean Cloth Gift Wrapping Workshop (Bojagi)
AutumnDublin by Dusk: Crafted Encounters: Traditional Korean Cloth Gift Wrapping Workshop (Bojagi) Discover bojagi, a traditional Korean wrapping cloth reimagined for modern, sustainable living as part of the Dublin by Dusk initiative.
