Museums

 

Maritime Collections and Memorials

 
The Heritage Council's Audit of Maritime Collections, in Adobe PDF format is here
Although hours of opening and admission prices are noted here on some exhibitions, do check directly with the venue. Please let us know of any additions or amendments

National Museum – Collins Barracks Dublin 1

Bantry-Yawl
Bantry Yawl being restored by Liverpool Museum, Now in Collins Barracks
Opening Hours Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm, Sunday: 2pm - 5pm Closed Mondays, Christmas Day and Good Friday Telephone: +353 1 6777444 Web: http://museum.ie The museum contains Armada guns recovered from Streedagh Co Sligo. The Bantry Bantry yawl - Admiral Neilly’s barge captured during the French 1797 expedition to Bantry bay has been removed to make space for the War of independence exhibition. The bell of the Tayleur was on display in the foyer but has been removed. The medals collection has a Tayleur medal and some other lifesaving medals. The 1914 gun running yacht Asgard is on display in the adjoining hall.  

Irish Lights Museum – Bailey Lighthouse Howth Co Dublin

Private collection relating to Commissioners of Irish Lights and lighthouse equipment, not generally open to the public. In the Bailey Lighthouse, Howth. web: http://www.cil.ie

Howth Harbour Coastguard Station

Exhibition relating to lifesaving and award of Tayleur medal to Coastguard Woodley. Display of Woodley’s medals. There is a memorial to fishermen and others lost at sea including some of those lost in wartime in the car park near the yacht club between the two piers.      web: http://www.howthcoastguard.com

Guinness Storehouse Museum – Dublin

Material relating to Guinness ships and Liffey Lighters. Also film of canal barges used to transport beer. Archive of photos, ships bells and fragment of bomb which struck ship during WW2. web: http://www.guinness-storehouse.com

Grand canal Visitors Centre – Hannover Dock Ringsend

Photographic display relating to canals in Ireland. Models of operation of locks Visits possible by prior arrangement only 
Phone:(01) 677 7510
 

Hannover basin – Ringsend

Hannover Basin, Grand Canal Dock
Cill Airne in Hannover Basin
MV Naomh Eanna – Aran Island ferry built Dublin 1957 rusts in the drydock and is likely to be cut up when development occurs. Nearby on south quays is Dublin port diving bell. The floating restaurant Cill Airne built in the Dublin dockyard in 1960.  Believed to be the last riveted ship built in Europe.  The other. The Kittiwake lightship which was moored opposirte has been scrapped and other old craft which used be in the dock have been cut up and removed. 

Prince of Wales and Rochdale memorials

Headstones mark the burial place of the victims of this 1807 disaster (see elsewhere on this site) at Monkstown cemetery (access key with electrical shop at the bottom of the hill). Dalkey Heritage centre (churchyard adjoining the castle) and Williamstown cemetery beside the Tara Towers Hotel on the Merrion road. A plaque on the Martello tower at Seapoint was removed after its installation.  .

Seamen’s war memorial – City Quay – Dublin

Anchor on granite plinth commemorating Irish merchant seamen lost during second world war.  

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

Statue and grave of Boyd who died in the attempted rescue from shipwrecks at Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) in 1861.

East Pier Dun Laoghaire

Ajax memorial to seamen from HMS Ajax who lost their lives attempting a rescue in 1861. It consists of a small obelisk.

Leinster Memorials

The anchor from RMS Leinster on plinth near Carlisle pier Dun Laoghaire from whence she sailed before being torpedoed in November 1918.   The Military Cemetery at  Blackhorse Ave  Dublin has about 70 graves of the military casualties of the torpedoing of the Leinster,1918.   A plaque is in the Church of Ireland at the Junction of Stillorgan road and Foster Avenue. There are graves in Deans Grange cemetery as well. There is a proposal to erect a lavish memorial on a roundabout near Carlisle pier.

East Pier Dun Laoghaire

Boyd Obelisk
Boyd Obelisk
Ajax memorial to seaman from HMS Ajax who lost their lives attempting a rescue in 1861. It consists of a small obelisk. There are other memorials, such as the lifeboatmen, lost in the Palme rescue. Every Christmas Eve a piper leads a group along the pier to remember them. A more recent memorial is to remember those who emigrated from this harbour.

Leinster Memorials

The anchor from RMS Leinster on plinth near Carlisle pier Dun Laoghaire from whence she sailed before being torpedoed in November 1918. The Military Cemetery at Blackhorse Ave Dublin has about 70 graves of the military casualties of the torpedoing of the Leinster,1918. A plaque is in the Church of Ireland at the Junction of Stillorgan road and Foster Avenue. There are graves in Deans Grange cemetery as well. During the summer months, there are tours of the cemetery.

Mariner’s Church Dun Laoghaire

Maritime material with a Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) local emphasis. It contains the  Bailey Optic, some 70 ship models, Material relating to Thomas Halpin and his cable laying work with Great Eastern. Extensive Library including Lloyds Register of shipping 1840-date.  .

Trinity College Dublin

In the Engineering department (Museum Building) there are Engineering models of the float and shear legs used to operate the Dublin Port Diving bell and block float used to lay the elements of the piers at Dublin port. These relate to the Engineer Bindon Blood Stoney who was professor and Port Engineer. Model of the Diving bell was in St Andrews resource centre in nearby Pearse street. The St Andrews churchyard the burial place of the divers Spalding and Watson who lost their lives in 1783 bell diving on the Belgioso. Their graves are unmarked and exact location is unknown
Dalkey Killney Tower
Killney Martello Tower

Dalkey Martello Tower

Major restoration of an 1803 Martello tower built to resist French Invasion with significant exhibition, equipment, and a replica (working) cannon. Martello Tower 7 on facebook

East coast

Newbridge House Donabate

Binnacle, headstones, and other items recovered from the Wreck of the Tayleur 1854

Rush town square

Kedge anchor and stone commemorating the 380 lost on the Tayleur

Portrane seafront

Kedge anchor and stone commemorating the 380 lost on the Tayleur

Skerries memorial

A new memorial has been made at the bandstand near the lifeboat station, it consists of the former coastguard practice mast with plaques naming seamen lost in the area.

Howth Memorial

Howth memorial near the Yacht club in Howth commemorates those lost at sea from Howth or in the area.

Balbriggan

Pier at Bbalbriggan
Pier at Bbalbriggan

Balbriggan maritime museum

A project in early stages being prepared by a local group in a former lifeboat house near the harbour based on Balbriggan Maritime heritage.
Waterford Harbour Dredger Port Lairge
Waterford Harbour Dredger Port Lairge

Maritime Museum Arklow

Collection relating to Maritime Arklow, Arklow shipping and Tyrell boatbuilding in new premises at quay.   Lightship Skua moored nearby.

Hook Head Lighthouse

Open daily 9.30 am to 5 pm web: http://hookheritage.ie/ Display of material relating to light keeping at this, possibly the oldest lighthouse in Europe. Tower open to public. Nearby at Foulksmills is the beached Waterford harbour dredger Port Lairge (Built Dublin 1890) with its 1890 steam engine intact but otherwise decayed.  

Wexford County Library

has an exhibition of figureheads from Wexford shipwrecks The library has podcasts of local history, many of maritime interest, available at http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/Library/OralHistoryPodcasts/
Guillemot at Kilmore
Guillemot at Kilmore
 

Kilmore Quay Maritime Museum – Co Wexford

Sadly gone and lightship cutup Exhibition, several fine figureheads, aboard lightship Guillemot moored in concrete at Kilmore Quay, many trawled artefacts on seafront, Nearby on seafront memorial to those lost at sea from all causes including in wartime. The museum ship has been cut up on site and the fate of the collection is unknown.

Duncannon fort maritime museum – Co Wexford

The museum at Duncannon Fort is clased for renovations. They hope to reopen in 2014. Collection in former fortress, includes brass cannon trawled from sea locally and many other trawled items. Full size trawler bridge and display on wartime losses in South East. web: http://duncannonfort.com/

Rosslare

Rosslare Maritime Enthusiasts now have a museum, see : https://www.facebook.com/RosslareHarbourMaritimeHeritageCentre  
Cork area
Naval Frigate off Haulbowline by Atkinson

Naval Frigate off Haulbowline by Atkinson

Port of Cork

A model of the Helga can be seen in the Port of Cork Company's headquarters at the Custom House. It is also home to a fine collection of historic maritime art. Most notable among the collection are a number of maritime paintings by George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson. Some of the paintings can be seen on this page

Titanic Park, Cobh

There is an exhibition on the Titanic in the former offices of the White Star Line. see: http://www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie/
Fort Camden Cork
Fort Camden Cork

Fort Camden Cork harbour

Coastal fort and artillery recently reopened to the public, but now closed until next spring. web: http://camdenfortmeagher.ie/ Cotters Pub in Crosshaven has a collection of photographs and artefacts.

Passage West

Drive shaft from the Sirius mounted on seafront

Haulbowline naval base

Museum with material the Irish navy base and former activity in British times. Situated in the Naval barracks built in 1800 which is still in use. View by appointment.

Cobh - Lusitania memorial, Cobh museum

The former Methodist church off road into town contains paintings of cork harbour Contains photos of US fleet in cork during WW1. Memorial in Cobh co Cork, memorial on Old head of Kinsale, headstone on main burial site at Cobh Cemetery, some graves at St Multose church Kinsale. There is a small museum in the church with material on Cobh. An exhibition on emigration is in the old railway station just beside the White Star pier. The Commodore Hotel has many artefacts. web: http://www.cobhheritage.com/ phone: 353 (21) 4 813591 Opening Hours for Cobh Heritage Centre Monday to Saturday 9.30 am to 5.00pm Sundays and Bank Holidays 11.00 am to 5.00 pm

Castletownsend

Lusitania oar and lifebelt in Castletownsend church, also memorial to Admiral Somerville and other members of this naval family.

Bushe’s bar Baltimore

Collection of material recovered locally from Kowloon Bridge etc Many photographs.

Paintings at Crawford gallery

Collection of maritime paintings of Cork web: http://www.crawfordartgallery.ie/

Bantry House French Armada Museum

Collection of items recovered from La Surveillante which was scuttled during French attempt to land with Wolfe Tone at Bantry Bay in 1797. A large anchor stands the southern approach to town. (currently closed) web: http://www.bantryhouse.com/bantryhouse/  
Bridge at Mizzen Head
Bridge at Mizzen Head

Mizen Head Lighthouse

More correctly the fog signal station is open to the public. Extensive display of lighthouse keeping with maritime artefacts. Cannon lifted from the nearby wreck of the Impatiente. Following repair of the bridge access resumed.    
Kinsale Musuem
Kinsale Musuem

Kinsale museum

Figurehead and bells from ships wrecked locally in market house in centre of town including cannon retrieved from shipwrecks. Several Lusitania artefacts. Open: Saturday and Sunday Web: http://homepage.eircom.net/~kinsalemuseum/

Fenit Pier museum

Contains boat which landed Roger Casement from U 19

Limerick city museum

Full diving dress used in harbour work locally

Valentia Island Museum, Knightstown

Display on cable laying in 1890s from Valentia, you can see the cable on a beach nearby and the buildings of the cable and radio station survive.

Quilty Co Clare

Church erected with assistance from rescued sailors of Leon XIII, wrecked offshore in 1907, the bell at altar is the ship’s bell.
Crereboom
Crereboom, a WW1 concrete tug beached in River Moy.

Beleek castle Hotel Ballina Co Mayo

Colection of Armada artefacts in private museum assessable only to hotel residents. Nearby is the Creteboom, a WW1 concrete tug beached in River Moy.    
Donegal and Northern Ireland

Ulster Folk and transport museum Cultra

Photo collection of Belfast shipbuilding including Harland and Wolfe archive, Lloyds list reprint from 1741-1846. Some ship models

Ulster museum – Belfast

The main finds from the wrecks of Trinidad Valencera and Girona of the 1588 Spanish Armada including siege gun and vast array of jewellery and artifacts.

Burtonport memorial

Commemorates fishermen lost from Carraig Una and Evelyn Marie

Greencastle museum, Greencastle co Donegal

Armada cannon from the Trinidad Valencera and material from HMS Wasp wrecked at Tory Island.

Fort Dunree – Co Donegal

Exhibition on coastal artillery and WW2 defence of the treaty ports. Also surviving naval guns from Cork harbour, cannon from Hoche on which Wolfe Tone was captured in 1798  

Newry Town Hall Museum

  Models and material relating to loss of Connemara and Retriever and Newry shipping.  

Laurentic memorial Co Donegal

  Memorial stone over graves of HMS Laurentic victims at Buncranna. The Bell is in the church at Rathmullen.

Derry Museum

  Armada cannon and artefacts from Trinidad Valencera.  
HMS Caroline
HMS Caroline in Belfast

HMS Caroline - Belfast Harbour

  Formerly a RNVR base the degunned cruiser is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland. There is a plan to restore the ship.      
graving dock
Graving Dock where they built Titanic

The titanic exhibitions in Belfast

  A vast complex beside the location where the Titanic was built displays the Titanic heritage of Belfast in a newly built centre. It is located beside the remains of the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The drawing office which is the sole contemporary building is to be converted to a hotel but the Thompson graving dock, and two huge shipbuilding cranes (Sampson & Goliath) survive. These replaced the Arol gantries about 1960.    
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