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.
- Family Drop-ins at the Dead Zoo Lab
Family funFamily Drop-ins at the Dead Zoo Lab Drop into the Discovery Zone in the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks for a drop-in event. Bring the family along and join a short activity to learn more about nature.
- Irish Sign Language Interpreted Tours of Collins Barracks
Family funIrish Sign Language Interpreted Tours of Collins Barracks Join us for an Irish Sign Language Interpreted tour of Collins Barracks on various dates throughout the year.
- DUBLIN BY DUSK: Curator Gallery Talk - Harry Clarke's Stained Glass
Family funDUBLIN BY DUSK: Curator Gallery Talk - Harry Clarke's Stained Glass Join curator Siobhán Doyle at Collins Barracks for a special evening tour in the exhibition ‘Harry Clarke's Stained Glass’ as part of "Dublin by Dusk".
- DUBLIN BY DUSK: Late Evening Tours at Collins Barracks
Family funDUBLIN BY DUSK: Late Evening Tours at Collins Barracks During the PRIDE festival, join the Museum’s LGBTQIA+ tour which views the exhibitions through alternative lenses, bringing some hidden histories and perspectives to the fore.
- Slow Looking Tour - Far From Home: Migration in 20th Century Ireland
Family funSlow Looking Tour - Far From Home: Migration in 20th Century Ireland Join us for a reflective and slow-looking tour exploring how objects can tell us about ourselves and our history, and how movement – both in and out of Ireland – has shaped the country’s identity and everyday life.
- 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!
