Kerry County Museum facts for kids
| Príomh-Mhúsaem Chiarraí | |
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| Established | 1992 |
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| Location | Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Type | County museum |
| Public transit access | Tralee railway station |
The Kerry County Museum (which is called Príomh-Mhúsaem Chiarraí in Irish) is a cool place to visit in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It's located inside a special building called the Ashe Memorial Hall right in the middle of Tralee. This building was finished in 1928 and used to be the main office for the local councils. After these councils moved out in the 1980s, the building was turned into the County Museum, opening its doors in 1992. The museum's main goal is to gather, record, keep safe, and show off the amazing history and treasures of County Kerry.
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History of the Museum Building
Before World War I, the local government groups for County Kerry and Tralee were in a building called County Hall. This building was completed in 1910. Sadly, it was set on fire in November 1920 during a time of conflict in Tralee.
In the mid-1920s, the local councils decided not to go back to the old County Hall. Instead, they chose to build a brand new office. They picked a spot that used to be part of a large estate. This land also had the old ruins of a castle from the 1600s.
Designing the Ashe Memorial Hall
A new building was designed by an architect named Thomas Joseph Cullen. He designed it in a style that looked like older, grand buildings. It was built using strong stone and cost about £32,480. The building officially opened in 1928.
The design of the building is very balanced and grand. It has 13 sections facing Denny Street. The middle part sticks out a little and has a main doorway. This doorway has a special window above it and fancy decorations around it. The building has two floors with large windows. The very top part of the middle section has smaller windows. There's also a decorative wall at the top and a sloped roof.
Just two months after it opened, the building was named the Ashe Memorial Hall. It was named in honor of Thomas Ashe (1885–1917), a hero from County Kerry who fought for Irish independence.
Past Uses of the Building
For many years, the Ashe Memorial Hall was the main office for both the Kerry County Council and the Tralee Urban District Council. Different parts of the building were used as meeting rooms for these councils. The building also had a theatre. From the 1930s to the 1950s, this theatre was even used as a cinema, showing movies to the public.
In January 1989, the county council moved to a new building, and the urban district council also moved to new offices. This left the Ashe Memorial Hall empty. In the early 1990s, the idea for the Kerry County Museum came about. It was a plan by the local council to show off the important history of County Kerry. When it first opened, the museum focused on showing off amazing old treasures from Kerry's past, especially from medieval times.
Museum Exhibits
The Kerry County Museum has many interesting things to see. Some of the cool exhibits include:
- An early medieval brooch, which is a beautiful piece of jewelry from a very long time ago.
- Old duelling pistols that belonged to Daniel O'Connell, a very famous Irish leader from the 1800s.
- A special exhibition all about Tom Crean, a brave explorer from Kerry who went on amazing journeys to the Antarctic.
