Donegal County Museum facts for kids
| Músaem Chontae Dhún na nGall | |
Displays within Donegal County Museum
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| Established | 1987 |
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| Location | Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Type | County museum |
The Donegal County Museum (which is Músaem Chontae Dhún na nGall in Irish) is a fantastic place in County Donegal, Ireland. It's located on the High Road in Letterkenny. The building where the museum is now was finished way back in 1843. It used to be the Warden's House for the Letterkenny Workhouse. Later, in the late 1900s, it was turned into the museum we know today.
How the Museum Started
The museum building has a long history. It was first built as the warden's house for the Letterkenny Workhouse. A workhouse was a place where people who were very poor could live and work. This building was designed by George Wilkinson and was ready in May 1843.
The Donegal County Museum first opened its doors to visitors in 1987. It received extra money from the European Union in 1989 to help it grow.
The museum was made bigger and officially opened again by President Mary Robinson on June 14, 1992. This was a big moment for the museum!
In the 1990s, some parts of the museum, like an old staircase, had a problem called dry rot. The museum had to close for a while to fix these issues. It reopened in 1999, ready for more visitors.
As of August 2025, the museum's collection is looked after by Judith McCarthy. She has been the museum's curator since July 1994, making her the longest-serving museum curator in Ireland. She went to school in Cootehill, County Cavan, and then studied at Trinity College and University College Dublin.
What You Can See: The Museum's Treasures
The main goal of the Donegal County Museum is to "collect, record, preserve, and display" all the important items and information about the history of County Donegal. It's like a giant scrapbook of the county's past!
In 2013, a government minister named Jimmy Deenihan said that the Donegal County Museum was one of the "best in Ireland." He praised how well it showed the history of everyone in the area.
The Donegal County Museum is also a "Designated Museum." This means it's a special museum that can keep important historical objects for the country.
Special Shows and Discoveries
The museum often has special exhibitions. For example, in 2018, it showed some amazing gold rings from the Bronze Age. These rings were found by chance in June 2018 and are very, very old, dating back to 1200 to 800 B.C. Later, these rings were moved to the National Museum of Ireland.
In November 2022, the museum launched a special database. This database lists people from Donegal who sadly died in World War I. The museum has had exhibitions about World War I before, in 2001 and again in 2014.
