Limerick Museum facts for kids
| Músaem Luimnigh | |
Front façade 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 |
Welcome to the Limerick Museum (or Músaem Luimnigh in Irish)! It's a fantastic place in Limerick, Ireland, where you can explore the city's amazing past. This museum used to be known as the Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum.
Contents
The Museum's Journey
How the Museum Started
The Limerick Museum first opened its doors in 1907. It began inside the Carnegie Free Library and Museum building. This building was created by a famous person named Andrew Carnegie. The museum welcomed visitors starting in 1916. It stayed in that first spot until 1975.
Moving to New Homes
Over the years, the museum has moved several times. In 1979, it moved to two old houses in John Square. Then, in 1998, it moved again to Castle Lane, opening there in 1999. In 2012, the museum had to move to a temporary spot. This was because King John's Castle was being updated and made bigger. Finally, in May 2017, the museum found its current home. It's now located in an old Franciscan 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.
National Recognition and Collections
The Limerick Museum is officially recognized as a national museum. This happened under the Cultural Institution Act of 1997. This special recognition allows the museum to collect important archaeological items. Before 1977, the city librarian also acted as the museum's curator. A curator is like a manager who takes care of the museum's collections. Since 1977, the museum has had full-time curators. These have included Larry Walsh, Brian Hodkinson, and currently, Dr. Matthew Potter.
The museum has a huge collection of over 62,000 objects! These items have been given as gifts, bought by the museum, or loaned for a long time. In 2004, it was the first local museum in Ireland to have its collection available 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!
Exciting Exhibitions
Showcasing Limerick's History
The very first exhibition at the museum was in 1940. It celebrated 100 years since the death of Gerald Griffin, a writer from Limerick. Since then, the museum has hosted many exhibitions. These shows focus on different parts of Limerick's history and culture. They allow the museum to display different objects from its large collection.
Special Items on Display
For example, in an exhibition in 2014, visitors could see some truly special items. These included the City Charter, which was signed by King Charles II of England. There was also a sword given to the city by Queen Elizabeth I of England. Many other interesting items about city life were also shown.
Cool Items in the Collection
The Limerick Museum has many unique and fascinating objects. Here are just a few of the amazing things you can find there:
- The largest meteorite ever to fall on the British Isles. It landed near Adare, in County Limerick!
- A very rare and complete Codd-neck bottle. These old bottles have a glass marble inside!
- The biggest collection of beautiful Limerick lace.
- A selection of Limerick Silver from the 1700s and 1800s.
- A scabbard (the case for a sword) used by Lord Edward Fitzgerald in 1798.
- Three old Blunderbuss firearms.
- Amazing finds from the Stone Age and Iron Age.
- A variety of old clothes, including a gentleman's suit from around 1706.
See also
