Trace the development of Irish society through clothing and jewellery - this exhibition displays styles of clothing worn in Ireland from the mid-18th to the 20th century.

The exhibition also addresses how we communicate through the clothes we wear and the history of cloth manufacturing in Ireland.

Self Directed Visits

Please note that all group visits must be pre-booked. Groups who arrive unnannouced may not be able to access galleries as groups who book will be given precedence. Contact us to make a booking.  Follow these steps on how to get the most out of a self-directed visit.

This section is still in development - we are working with teachers to make this section as useful and relevant as possible. We welcome any suggestions you might have, please contact us.

In the classroom, there are several follow up activities you can do with your class to continue The Way We Wore topic.

We suggest:

• Brainstorming - Ask your students to brainstorm ideas for a fashion exhibition that best represents their school. Discuss ideas like what items of clothing are popular today and why?
• Working together - Your students can each bring in an item of clothes, which they can analyse in groups. Working in teams, they can discuss the material: shape: value: style: colour: function
• For more tips, see our guide on how to plan a visit.
  
  

We're continually improving and adding to our online Museum resources.

Looking for information on exhibitions and collections?
Take a look around:

• The Way We Wore Exhibition
  
• Costume Collection
  
• Jewellery & Costume Accessories Collection
• Lace Collection

You may also be interested in:

• Neillí Mulcahy – Irish Haute Couture of the 50s and 60s

Want to look up a particular artefact?  Try our Artefact Search.