Arklow Maritime Museum facts for kids
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Museum exterior
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| Established | 1976 |
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| Location | Bridgewater Shopping Centre, North Quay, Arklow, Ireland |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Public transit access | Arklow railway station Bus Éireann Route 2 |
The Arklow Maritime Museum is a cool place in Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland. It opened in 1976 to show off Arklow's amazing history with the sea. A famous historian once called Arklow "Ireland's Most Maritime Town"! This means it's super important for ships and sailors. In 2009, the museum moved to its current spot in the Bridgewater Shopping Centre.
Contents
A Look Back: How the Museum Started
Saving Sea Stories
In the early 1900s, many families in Arklow worked with the sea. They were fishermen, or they sailed ships along the coast and even far out at sea. Many homes had special items from these sea adventures.
But by the 1970s, people started throwing these old items away. A group of people in Arklow realized that their town's sea history might disappear forever. So, they decided to save what they could for future generations.
Early Exhibitions
Around 1970 or 1971, the group held a special one-time show of sea items. It was held in the Marlborough Hall on St Mary's Road. This first show was a big success!
Because of this, they held a second, even bigger show on March 17 and 18, 1973. This time, it was at St. Kevin's Christian Brothers' School. The whole top floor was filled with displays.
The people organizing the show also made a newsletter. It had interesting stories about:
- Arklow fishermen who taught people on the west coast how to fish for business.
- The first Arklow man whose ship was sunk in World War II.
- Stories about ships and memories from the sea.
- The names of Arklow men remembered on a special memorial in London.
- A schooner (a type of sailing ship) from Arklow called DE WADDEN.
- What life was like on the Arklow Lightship (a ship that acts like a lighthouse).
- Arklow's connection to the famous RMS Lusitania ship disaster.
Opening the Museum
After the exhibitions, many people offered to lend or donate their sea items to the group. They needed a permanent home for all these treasures. The ESB (Ireland's electricity company) helped by donating a special building.
Finally, the Arklow Maritime Museum officially opened its doors on February 20, 1976. It was a dream come true for everyone who wanted to keep Arklow's sea heritage alive!
What You Can See: The Museum's Collection
The Arklow Maritime Museum now has over two thousand amazing items! Here are some of the most popular things you can see:
- Kynoch Factory Display: Learn about the Kynoch factory, which made ammunition. It employed thousands of people and was very important to Arklow.
- RNLI Lifeboat Station: See a section about the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Arklow had the first lifeboat station in Ireland opened by the RNLI! Lifeboats are super important for rescuing people at sea.
- RMS Lusitania Story: Discover the story of the RMS Lusitania. Arklow fishermen helped rescue survivors from this famous ship. You can see medals and even a lady's shoe from the disaster.
- Ship Models: Check out cool scale models of different ships. One model is of the Asgard II, a training ship built in Arklow. Sadly, it sank in 2008.
- Sea Gear and Art: There are also many other ship models, old equipment used on boats, and beautiful paintings of ships and the sea.
Famous Ships Connected to Arklow
Arklow has a strong connection to many important ships. The museum has displays and information about these vessels:
- Asgard II
- Cymric, a schooner
- Gypsy Moth III, a famous sailing boat. Sir Francis Chichester sailed it and won the first ever single-handed (meaning one person) race across the Atlantic Ocean!
- James Postlethwaite
- Mary B Mitchell, another schooner
- MV Murell
- MV Tyrronall
