National Museum of Ireland – Natural History facts for kids
| Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann – Stair an Dúlra | |
Entrance to the museum
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| Established | 1856 |
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| Location | Merrion Street, Dublin, Ireland |
| Type | National museum |
| Visitors | 387,412 |
| Public transit access | St Stephen's Green  Dublin Pearse  Dublin Bus routes: 25, 25a, 44, 61, 66, 67 |
| National Museum of Ireland network | |
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The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History (which in Irish is Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann – Stair an Dúlra) is often called the Dead Zoo. It is part of the National Museum of Ireland and is located on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland.
This museum was built in 1856. It was made to hold parts of the collection from the Royal Dublin Society. Later, the building and its amazing collection were given to the Irish State.
The museum's collection focuses on zoology (animals). It used to have geology (rocks and minerals) and botany (plants) too. The geology items have been mostly stored since the 1960s. The plant collection moved to the National Botanic Gardens in 1970.
The animal collection and the building itself have not changed much since the Victorian era. Because of this, some people call it a "museum of a museum". It's like stepping back in time!
It has been free to visit for many years. Lots of people come to see it, with over 388,000 visitors in 2019. In November 2020, the museum closed for a big renovation project. The ground floor reopened in August 2022. The work was even shown in a TV show called The Dead Zoo in 2022.
Contents
Explore the Museum's Collections
The Natural History Collection holds over 2 million items. Most of these are related to zoology and geology. About a million of these specimens are insects! There used to be a plant collection, but it moved to the National Botanic Gardens in 1970.
Like many natural history museums, most of the specimens are not on display. For example, almost all the geological collections are kept in storage. In 1962, a building that held the main geology displays was taken down. This meant these collections had to be stored elsewhere. A small part of the geological collection is now on display at the National Museum of Ireland site at Collins Barracks.
Amazing Displays and Exhibitions
The museum building is designed like a "cabinet-style" museum. This means it was made to show off a huge and detailed animal collection. It has hardly changed in over a hundred years. The exhibitions show about 10,000 specimens from all over the world. You can even find an online virtual tour of the inside on the museum's website. This shows the building before it was emptied for the recent renovation work.
The Irish Room: Animals of Ireland
The Irish Room is on the ground floor of the museum. Here, you can see animals found in Ireland. A highlight is several mounted skeletons of giant Irish deer. These huge deer once lived in Ireland. Many skulls of these and other deer are displayed on the walls.
You will also see stuffed and mounted mammals, birds, fish, and insects. These are all animals native to or found in Ireland. Many of these specimens, like badgers, hares, and foxes, are over a century old. A huge basking shark hangs from the ceiling in this room. This way of grouping Irish animals together started in 1910.
First Floor: Animals from Around the World
The first floor shows mammals from all over the world. This includes animals that are extinct (no longer alive) or endangered species (at risk of disappearing). You can see a thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) and a pygmy hippopotamus. Also on display is a polar bear shot by Admiral Sir Francis McClintock. Many of the mounted animals were bought from or given by the Royal Zoological Gardens, Dublin. A large collection of Irish birds, given by Richard Barrington, is mounted along one wall.
Upper Galleries: Birds and Marine Life
The Lower gallery has been closed to visitors since 2007. It contains bird specimens from around the world. Above this, from the second ceiling, hang the skeletons of a humpback whale and a fin whale. This floor also has a dodo skeleton, made from bones found in Mauritius.
The Upper gallery has also been closed since 2007. It displays invertebrates (animals without backbones) and marine specimens. This includes the museum's collection of Glass Sea Creatures. These were made by the famous glass artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. You can also see many game heads mounted on pillars. Many of these were given to the museum in the 1930s.
Museum History and Development
Early Days: 1786–1850s
The museum was built in 1856 to hold the growing collections of the Royal Dublin Society. These collections had been getting bigger since the late 1700s. In 1792, the Society bought a huge collection from Nathaniel Gottfried Leske. This was one of Europe's largest natural history collections at the time.
The museum in Leinster House opened to the public two days a week starting in 1832. Before that, it was only for members of the Royal Dublin Society. In 1836, a special committee decided that the public should have more access. This meant a bigger building was needed. By 1850, 44,000 people were visiting, but they complained about the small space and limited visiting hours.
Alexander Carte became the curator and then director of the Natural History Museum. He helped the collections grow, aiming to show more types of animals and rocks from Ireland and around the world. He also started organizing the exhibits by geography, with Irish items first, then international ones.
Building the Museum: 1850s–1870s
In 1853, the Society started planning for the new museum building. They got a grant of £5000 from the government. The building you see today was finished in 1857. It was an extension to Leinster House, where the Royal Dublin Society was based.
The building was designed by architect Frederick Clarendon. It was made to look similar to the National Gallery of Ireland, which is on the other side of Leinster Lawn. The building's frame is made of cast iron. The outside uses granite and Portland stone.
The new museum building officially opened in August 1857. The first big event was a special gathering with 1500 guests. The famous explorer David Livingstone even gave a lecture there.
The first exhibits included plants, fossils, birds, insects, and marine animals. There were also some scientific tools and books. The ground floor had a place for refreshments for people attending lectures. By 1867, the museum was open four days a week and two evenings. In 1870, over 100,000 people visited the museum.
Becoming a National Museum: 1870s–1920
From 1868, the government started planning for science and art in Ireland. They wanted to create national institutions like a Science and Art Museum, a National Gallery, and museums for Natural History and Irish Antiquities.
On August 14, 1877, the museum and its collections officially became owned by the State. The new institution was called the Museum of Science and Art, Dublin. New money was given to expand the collections. The Irish museum was now seen as being on the same level as other British museums.
Alexander Goodman More became the new curator in 1881. He focused on cleaning, relabeling, and reorganizing the collections. He arranged the displays in a new way, based on how animals are classified. In 1890, a new museum for Irish Antiquities was ready. This meant some collections, like the plant collection, moved there. The title of "curator" was changed to "keeper".
The 1890s saw the first female staff members, Matilda Cullen Knowles and Jane Stephens. Electric lighting was fully installed in 1895. Many staff members added to the collections during this time. They also bought specimens from famous suppliers around the world. From 1905 to 1911, staff took part in surveys of Irish islands and cave explorations. The items found were brought to the museum.
In 1909, a new entrance was built facing Merrion Street. This changed how visitors entered the museum. It explains why some of the large exhibits still face what looks like the back of the building today.
Modern Times: 1920–Present
In 1920, the Royal Dublin Society moved out of Leinster House. Leinster House then became the seat of the new Irish Free State government. The walkway connecting the museum to Leinster House was closed in 1922. The museum itself closed to the public from June 1922 due to these changes and staff transfers.
From 1921, the museum officially became known as the National Museum of Ireland. The Natural History Museum reopened on June 2, 1924, but with fewer staff. This meant the exhibits didn't change much for a long time. In the 1950s, the museum sometimes had only one staff member!
The geology and fossil collections got more attention in the 1950s and 60s. However, when a building called "the Annexe" was taken down in 1962, the geological materials had to be put into storage. In recent years, the insect and animal collections have received more care.
Staircase Collapse and Renovations
On July 5, 2007, a 150-year-old stone staircase inside the museum partly collapsed. This staircase was not open to the public. Eleven people were hurt. The building then had a safety review.
The museum fully closed for almost three years. It reopened on April 29, 2010, but only the ground and first floors. As of 2021, the two upper gallery floors are still closed. This is because there are not enough emergency exits on those levels.
Future Plans and Closure
The museum is part of a big plan for Ireland's development from 2018 to 2027. This plan includes building an extension to the museum. This new part will have more display space, an education area, a café, a shop, and lifts for easy access. It will also add more emergency exits for the upper floors.
By 2020, work began to restore the roof and structure of the museum. This involved carefully moving some of the collections, including the two huge whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling.
How the Museum Works
The National Museum of Ireland has one main structure and budget. It has an overall Director and a Keeper for each major collection, like Natural History. There are also shared teams for things like registration, education, and IT.
The museum has had very few staff members for many years. This meant that for some time, there was only one professional zoology staff member. Also, for a couple of years in the 2000s, there were no educational programs. The small museum shop even closed for some years, but it reopened in March 2018.
Museum Experts
Including the Keeper, there are only about 3 to 5 professional staff members in recent years. This is much smaller than in many similar museums. These experts manage the collections, classify specimens, and give scientific advice. They also work with other scientists around the world. The team includes two Curators of Zoology, a Curator of Entomology (insects), and a Curator of Geology.
Keepers of the Museum
The people in charge of the museum over the years have included:
- Alexander Carte (Director, 1851-1881)
- Alexander G. More (Curator, 1881-1887)
- Robert F. Scharff (Keeper, 1891-1921)
- John S. Jackson (1957-1968)
- Colm E. O'Riordan (1968-1988)
- James P. O'Connor (1998-2000)
- Nigel Monaghan (2001-2022)
- Paolo Viscardi (as of 2022)
Other Uses of the Museum
In 2018, the museum also started being used as a wedding venue! The very first wedding held there was between a former staff member, Rebecca O'Neill, and her fiancé, Greg Sheaf.
See also
