Carlow County Museum facts for kids
| Músaem Chontae Cheatharlach | |
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| Established | 1973 |
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| Location | Carlow, Ireland |
| Type | County museum |
| Visitors | 26,000 per annum (2019) |
The Carlow County Museum (also known as Músaem Chontae Cheatharlach in Irish) is a cool place where you can discover the history of County Carlow in Ireland. It's located right in Carlow town, inside a building that used to be a convent. This building also has the County Library, so it's a hub for learning!
Contents
A Look Back: How the Museum Started
The Carlow County Museum was first created by a group called the Carlow Historical & Archaeological Society in 1973. This group ran the museum with volunteers until 2002. The museum's collections were first kept in an old Christian Brothers' building. Later, from 1979, they moved to the former theatre room of the Town Hall.
In 2012, the museum found its current home in the beautifully renovated Presentation Convent building. This building is part of a new cultural area in Carlow. Today, the museum is managed by the Carlow Town Council and Carlow County Council, still working with the Historical Society.
What You Can See Inside
The museum has four special rooms where you can explore both permanent and changing exhibits. It holds a wide variety of items that show the history of the local area. These items include things from ancient times (archaeology), general history, how people lived (social history), and everyday life (folk life). The museum is also officially allowed to collect important archaeological finds by the National Museum of Ireland.
Famous Objects and Stories
One of the most important items you can see is a 19th-century pulpit from Carlow Cathedral. This pulpit was even featured in A History of Ireland in 100 Objects, a special series by The Irish Times.
The museum also has collections related to famous people like John Tyndall, Kevin Barry, and Captain Myles Keogh. You can also learn about the history of the Carlow Sugar Factory, which was very important to the area.
Special Exhibits
As part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, the museum added a new artwork. This is a beautiful stained-glass panel called "Carlow 1916 Commemorative Stained Glass Panel" by Peadar Lamb. It tells the story of the 1916 Rising from Carlow's point of view, showing key local figures and their roles.
There was also a special exhibition about St. Willibrord, called Saint Willibrord, Patron Saint of Luxembourg and his County Carlow Connection. This showed the links between the saint and County Carlow.
The newest exhibit at the museum is a grave effigy of Robert Hartpole. An effigy is like a statue of a person, often found on their tomb. Robert Hartpole was an important figure in Carlow in 1594, serving as Constable of Carlow Castle and High Sheriff.
See also
- List of country houses in County Carlow
- Oak Park, County Carlow
