Museum of Ireland 

The National Museum of Ireland comprises four of Ireland’s most important museums, including the National Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts (at Collin’s Barracks) all in Dublin and the wonderful Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, County Mayo. Open daily throughout the year apart from Christmas and New Year admission is free. Each is a treasure trove of Irish history and National artifacts gathered over centuries by historians, scientists, botanists, artists and archaeologists or gifted to the nation by generous benefactors. Such as John and Gertrude Hunt, who kindly bequeathed their unique collection of Irish and European Art and Antiquities to the city of Limerick.

This is one of my own personal favourites, as it has a little bit of everything to interest everybody, from half-finished sketches by Renoir to an exquisite bronze sculpture of a horse by Leonardo Da Vinci. Free admission every sunday and two for the price of one on mondays. The others listed here include a few quirky ones, like the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, where Irish Coffee was invented (another favourite for obvious reasons) and the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Cutlery in Kildare which is free. And while I wouldn’t often recommend a visit to a cemetery as a fun day out the Museum at Glasnevin is absolutely excellent. No visit to Dublin would be complete without going to see the Writer’s Museum on Parnell Square, another excellent resource for anyone interested in Irish Literature. And finally centre stage in Belfast has to be the Titanic Museum which in a word is truly fantastic!

We visit the Titanic Museum on my Guided Tours of Ireland's Hidden Gems as well as Belfast Castle and Giants Causeway while in Northern Ireland and the Museum of Country Life and Kilkenny Castle in the South

The 10 Best Museums in Ireland are.

1 The Hunt Museum, Customs House, Rutland St, Limerick

2 Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Foynes, County Limerick

3 Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge Cutlery, County Kildare

4 Museum of Decorative Arts, Collin’s Barracks, Dublin 7

5 The National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St, Dublin 2

6 The Natural History Museum, Merrion St, Dublin 2

7 Museum of Country Life, Turlogh, Castlebar, County Mayo

8 Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Dublin City

9 The Writer’s Museum, Parnell Square, Dublin 1

10 Titanic Museum, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland

View Ireland's Hidden Gems - Museums in a larger map