Many attractions in Ireland have one peculiarity: they resemble a nested doll - inside one important place or object there is another. Among such tourist nested dolls is the National Maritime Museum of Ireland: not only does the museum itself contain a large number of interesting exhibits, but the building in which it is located is the old St. Michael's Church. So you can visit two symbolic places for the Irish at once! The museum collection is being replenished as expeditions are made off the seabed - there's always something of interest under the sea. This is one of the reasons why the museum can be visited on every visit to Ireland.
Maritime Museum of Ireland - historical overview
St. Michael's Church was built in 1837 on the outskirts of what has now become a full-fledged neighborhood of the city - Dan Lar - for maritime students and sailors in service. The church remained open for nearly 150 years until in 1974 the Irish Maritime Institute and representatives of the church signed an agreement to establish a historic military museum in the temple building.
In 2006, the Irish government allocated a budget to restore the building and equipment of the museum. This cut off funding, and today the museum exists on a profit from visitors and charitable funds.
What to see in the museum?
The National Maritime Museum exhibit is based on artifacts discovered by the Great Eastern crew while laying a cable on the bottom of the North Sea. Tourists may be interested in:
- Ship's logs, photographs and drawings
- Model of the ship Sirius, which was the first steam locomotive to cross the Atlantic
- The museum's largest exhibit, Bailey's Lantern.
- Drawings of sailing ships that brought supplies to the front during World War II.
- John Richardson Wigam's Inventions.
- Kenneth King's collection of paintings
- Flag with bullet holes by M. W. Kerlog
- A library with a collection of about 4,000 books.
- Blueprints and models of ships, sailing ships
- Attributes of real sailors: tubes, spyglasses, compasses, blueprints, maps.
Interesting Facts
- The lantern, considered the museum's largest exhibit, was removed from Bailey Lighthouse in the late 20th century because it was uneconomical: its bright light was provided by two million candles.
- Most of the exhibits were donated to the museum by the Halpin family, to which the captain of the Great Eastern ship belonged.
- Before the museum opened, St. Michael's Cathedral was famous for its organ music and architecture: sharp spires, small windows and massive doors.
- The museum's exhibition includes archival photographs from the very ship on which most of the artifacts were collected: so visitors can learn not only about the exhibits, but also about the history of their acquisition.
