Limerick Museum facts for kids
The front of the Limerick Museum
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| Former name | Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum |
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| Established | 1907 |
| Location | Henry Street, Limerick, Ireland |
| Collection size | Over 60,000 objects |
Limerick Museum is a cool place in Limerick, Ireland, where you can learn all about the city's history! It used to be called the Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum. This museum is a special spot where you can explore the past of Limerick and see amazing old objects.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The Limerick Museum first opened its doors in 1907. It was originally located in a building called the Carnegie Free Library and Museum. This building was set up by a famous person named Andrew Carnegie.
Moving to New Homes
The museum welcomed visitors starting in 1916. It stayed in its first home until 1975. Over the years, the museum moved several times to different locations around Limerick.
- In 1979, it moved to two old houses in John Square.
- Then, in 1998, it moved to Castle Lane and opened there in 1999.
- In 2012, it moved to a temporary spot because King John's Castle was being updated.
- Finally, in May 2017, the museum found its current home. It's now in the old Franciscans Friary on Henry Street.
Who Runs the Museum?
The museum is managed by the Limerick City and County Council. This means the local government helps keep it running.
Museum Experts
Limerick Museum is officially recognized as an important museum. This allows it to collect and display old archaeological items. For many years, the city librarian also looked after the museum. Since 1977, the museum has had full-time experts called curators. They are in charge of the museum's collections.
- Larry Walsh was the curator from 1977 to 2012.
- Brian Hodkinson took over from 2012 to 2017.
- Currently, Dr. Matthew Potter has been the curator since 2017.
What's Inside?
The museum has a huge collection of over 62,000 objects! These items have been given as gifts, bought, or loaned to the museum. In 2004, it was the first local museum in Ireland to put its collection online. More and more people are visiting the museum each year. For example, 13,000 people visited in 2017, and that number grew to 23,000 in 2018!
Amazing Exhibitions
The first special display, or exhibition, at the museum was in 1940. It celebrated 100 years since the death of a Limerick writer named Gerald Griffin. Since then, the museum has hosted many exhibitions. These shows focus on different parts of Limerick's history and culture.
What You Might See
Exhibitions are a great way for the museum to show off different parts of its collection. They often change, so there's always something new to see! For example, in 2014, there was a special exhibition. It featured the city's official document signed by King Charles II of England. You could also see a sword given to the city by Queen Elizabeth I of England. Many other cool items about Limerick's civic life were also on display.
Cool Items in the Collection
The Limerick Museum has many unique and interesting items. Here are just a few of the special things you might find there:
- The largest meteorite ever to fall on the British Isles. It landed near Adare, County Limerick.
- A very rare and complete Codd-neck bottle.
- The biggest collection of beautiful Limerick lace.
- A selection of fancy silver items from Limerick, made in the 1700s and 1800s.
- The scabbard (sword holder) used by Lord Edward Fitzgerald in 1798.
- Three old Blunderbuss firearms.
- Archaeological finds from the Stone Age and Iron Age.
- A variety of old clothes, including a gentleman's suit from around 1706.
See also
