The National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks has officially opened its new Changing Ireland Galleries, marking the most significant expansion of public gallery space at the Museum in over a decade.
The launch was attended by Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister for Culture Patrick O’Donovan, and Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran, who praised the galleries as a powerful reflection of Ireland’s evolving identity.
With capital funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport’s Decade of Centenaries Programme, and working in partnership with the Office of Public Works, the new galleries open following a full refurbishment of a part of Collins Barracks that had been untouched since the departure of the Defence Forces almost 30 years ago.
- Left to right: Donal Maguire, Keeper of Art & History, National Museum of Ireland; Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, Chair of the Board of the National Museum of Ireland; Simon Harris, Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade; Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Minister for State with responsibility for the OPW; Lynn Scarff, Director, National Museum of Ireland; Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, and Brenda Malone, Curator, National Museum of Ireland.
The Changing Ireland Galleries will feature hundreds of political, social and cultural objects from the Museum’s 20th and 21st Century Collections; extraordinary and everyday objects that have been witness to the last 150 years. On entering the galleries, visitors are invited to reflect on the objects and consider the question, ‘Cad Is Ann Éire Dar Leat?’, ‘What Is Ireland to You?’
- Karen Hoban, daughter of Mary Staunton, whose tea set is on display in the Changing Ireland galleries at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.
In keeping with the Museum’s desire to develop dynamic and engaging exhibits, the new galleries have been meticulously designed to accommodate regular changes in the display, which will give the public unprecedented access to the collection, and support the long-term conservation of the objects.
Enabling greater inclusivity, a range of perspectives and different voices will be invited through co-curated projects, video interviews, and artistic interventions. New commissions, including poetry by Paula Meehan, are woven through 426 square metres of interconnected rooms, offering a lyrical dimension to the galleries.
The majority of the hundreds of objects featured will be on display for the first time and include Rory Gallagher’s iconic Fender Stratocaster (1961), and a number of personal objects that give insights into key figures of Ireland’s recent political past such as the personal belongings of key figures of the 1916 Rising that were executed in Kilmainham, a decommissioned RPG7 rocket launcher used by the IRA during The Troubles (1970s), and an Orange Order sash.
- Changing Ireland galleries at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.
Objects that reflect the social, economic and cultural reality of everyday Irish life include a silver-plated tea set gifted to Mayo woman Mary Staunton after resigning due to the Irish Marriage Bar (1972), as well as a black and white television (1981) which was owned by a family in the Republic who smuggled it across the Northern Ireland border, as was so typically done at the time.
Art and culture are represented in various forms, including for example, ceramics by Dublin artist Kathleen Cox (1930s) and a dressing screen by Susan Mary ‘Lily’ Yeats (1920s).
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Simon Harris, T.D., said;
“These new galleries provide an important opportunity to reflect on and connect with Ireland’s story in fresh and deeply meaningful ways. It reminds us that our shared history is not static but continues to evolve with every generation, shaped by the people who call this island home.”
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan T.D., said;
“The Changing Ireland Galleries are a legacy project of the Decade of Centenaries Programme and a testament to the power of cultural reflection. This new space at the National Museum ensures that our shared history, in all its complexity, can be explored by future generations.”
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin Boxer Moran T.D., said;
“The Office of Public Works has worked collaboratively with the National Museum of Ireland on this significant project which has included the careful refurbishment of a floor of Collins Barracks. The result is a visually striking and welcoming space that adds significantly to the existing gallery space at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.”
Chair of the National Museum of Ireland Board, Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, said;
“This is a momentous day for the National Museum, and we would like to express our gratitude to Government for the funding to expand the galleries in this way. There are millions of objects in the Museum’s collection, and our physical infrastructure only allows us to have a fraction of that on display at any one time. The expansion of our galleries and the nature of this new display, will ensure that the Museum can share more of Ireland’s history with visitors in years to come.”
Director of the National Museum of Ireland, Lynn Scarff, said;
“The opening of the Changing Ireland Galleries marks a transformational moment for the National Museum. Reflecting the new direction set out in our Strategic Plan, it is object-focused, non-linear, and exploratory, and aims to be a place of sanctuary and surprise without predetermined narratives. By including many voices in the Gallery spaces, we have been able to create a space that will change and evolve and more accurately reflect the dynamic nature of our contemporary history and its intergenerational impact right up to the present day. The galleries invite visitors to connect with history on their own terms and to question what Ireland means to them today.
Lead Curator of the Changing Ireland Galleries, Brenda Malone, said;
“The galleries have been designed to allow for the regular rotation of objects, which helps us to preserve these important artefacts for future generations while ensuring the galleries remain dynamic and continually offer fresh perspectives on modern Ireland’s history. The galleries also embrace sensory experiences, using music, visuals, and immersive audiovisual installations to add context, mood, and texture to the display.”
The Changing Ireland Galleries at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks will be open to the public from October 16th, 2025. Admission is free.