National Maritime Museum of Ireland facts for kids
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Museum exterior
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| Established | 1978 |
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| Location | Moran Park, Dún Laoghaire, Ireland |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Public transit access | Dún Laoghaire railway station Dublin Bus 7, 7a, 45a, 46a, 59, 111 |
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland is a cool place to learn about Ireland's sea history. It's also known by its Irish name, Irish: Músaem Mhuirí Náisiúnta na hÉireann. The museum first opened its doors in 1978. You can find it in an old church called the Mariners' Church. This church is in Moran Park, right between the seafront and the middle of Dún Laoghaire town. That's southeast of Dublin city. In 2012, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, officially reopened the museum after some updates.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's History
The building where the museum is now used to be a church. It was built in 1837 for sailors and their families. The church stayed open until 1971. A few years later, in 1974, two groups decided to work together. These were the Church of Ireland and the Maritime Institute of Ireland. They signed an agreement to turn the old church into a museum. That's how the museum started!
In 2006, the government planned to give a lot of money to help fix up the museum. However, this funding stopped later on. Now, the museum relies on money from tickets, special events, and donations. It's mostly run by amazing volunteers. These are people who give their time to help out. In July 2011, two beautiful new stained-glass windows were put into the old church. An artist named Peadar Lamb made them. The museum then reopened its doors on June 5, 2012.
Awesome Exhibits to Explore
The museum has many interesting things to see. They tell stories about ships, lighthouses, and brave sailors.
The Irish Lights
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This part of the museum is all about lighthouses. The biggest thing here is the Baily Optic. This is a giant lens that came from the Baily Lighthouse on Howth Head. It was used to shine a light far out to sea from 1902 to 1972. You can also see some cool inventions by John Richardson Wigham. He was famous for improving lighthouse lamps.
The Great Eastern Ship Display
This exhibit tells the story of a huge ship called the SS Great Eastern. It was designed by a very famous engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. You can see items that belonged to its captain, Robert Halpin. There's even a special clockwork model of the ship. A clockwork model means it has gears and springs, like a clock, to make it move.
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RMS Leinster Artefacts
This section shows items found from the wreck of the RMS Leinster. This ship was sunk in 1918 by a torpedo. This happened near the Kish lighthouse, close enough to see from Dún Laoghaire. More than 500 people sadly lost their lives. You can also see special half-models of other ships from the same company. These are the RMS Ulster, RMS Leinster, RMS Munster, and RMS Connaught. These models are cut in half lengthwise, so you can see the inside.
St Columba's Chapel
This area helps us remember Irish ships during World War II. It shows how important they were during that time. You can see a collection of paintings by an artist named Kenneth King. There's also a flag from the MV Kerlogue ship that has bullet holes in it. The old Mariners' Church building itself is also a very interesting part of the museum to explore.
