40 Museums to Explore in Ireland

Knock Museum tells the story of the Knock Apparition at Knock, Co. Mayo in 1879. It describes how fifteen local Roman Catholic witnesses claimed to have seen the Lamb of God, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist at the south gable of the local parish church on 21 August, 1879. Visitors can read the testimony of pilgrims describing how they were miraculously cured and listen to the memories and stories of some of the one.

The Lár na Páirce Museum is housed in an elegant 19th century building in Thurles, County Tipperary. The exhibition tells the story of the Gaelic games of hurling, football, camogie and handball, from legendary times to the present day. It was the first centre of its kind in the country and the first museum dedicated to telling the story of Gaelic sports in an interactive way.

The Ledwidge Cottage Museum commemorates the Irish poet, political activist, nationalist and war hero Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917). The cottage is the family home where Ledwidge was the eight of nine children who grew up in poverty. It is a perfect example of a 19th Century farm labourer's cottage and was purchased and restored by the Francis Ledwidge Museum Committee in 1981.

The National Science and Ecclesiology Museum at Maynooth is a science museum and museum of ecclesiology, located on the joint campus of St Patrick's College, Maynooth and Maynooth University, Ireland. It is an institution of the college, having begun as an ecclesiological museum. The museum holds various artefacts from the history of science in Ireland.

Millmount is a large fortified complex situated on a great mound on the South bank of the River Boyne located in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Today the complex houses the Millmount Museum which houses a wide variety of artifacts of local and national importance. The complex is Drogheda's most dominant feature, clearly visible from all parts of the town. The Martello tower is affectionately known as "The Cup and Saucer" by locals.

Monaghan County Museum is a museum which documents the history of County Monaghan. The museum’s extensive collection covers the history of the county from the end of the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago all the way to modern day. It also document the history of County Monaghan over the course of human history. The Museum also maintains a large collection of archival material, which include early estate records (rentals, maps and wages books) and local authority records.

The Museum of Free Derry is a museum located in Derry, Northern Ireland that focuses on the 1960s civil rights era known as The Troubles and the Free Derry Irish nationalist movement in the early 1970s. Located in the Bogside district, the museum's exhibits include photographs, posters, film footage, letters and personal artifacts.

The National Museum of Ireland is Ireland’s premier cultural institution and home to the greatest collections of Irish material heritage, culture and natural history in the world. The museum exhibits the way of life of rural Irish people between 1850 and 1950, and is in the grounds of Turlough Park House. There are displays about the home, the natural environment, trades and crafts, communities, and working on the land and water.

The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum is a military museum based in Sovereign's House at Armagh, Northern Ireland. The museum is a Grade B listed building. The collection includes the Victoria Crosses awarded to Private Robert Morrow and to Lieutenant Geoffrey Cather of the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the Western Front during the First World War.

This is a museum dedicated to the history of County Sligo. It was housed in a former manse on Stephen Street, Sligo town. The Yeats Room here is full of manuscripts, photographs, letters and newspaper cuttings associated with the local poet William Butler Yeats including a copy of his 1923 Nobel Prize winning medal and a complete collection of his poems from 1889 to 1936.

The former St Mary’s Church has been converted into a modern museum, and is a venue for select events and exhibitions. Designed to enrich the cultural life of the city and provide a new international standard attraction for visitors the museum has several functions: as the starting point for understanding Kilkenny’s medieval history, to display Kilkenny’s Civic Treasures and replicas of some of Ossory High Crosses and to provide a space for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.

The Steam Museum & Lodge Park Walled Garden is a steam museum and tourist destination in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland.This fine Victorian gothic building once stood near Inchicore Railway Works. In the Model Hall the Collection consists of Early Inventor's models, Scientific Engineering Models, and Historic Works of Mechanical Art. The museum is open to visitors from Wednesdays to Sundays during the summer.

The Inniskillings Museum is one of the 2 museums at Enniskillen Castle, and will tell you the story of the 2 regiments from the town of Enniskillen. The Museum tells the story of the town of Enniskillen's two regiments - the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The town of Enniskillen is the only town in the British Isles which had two regiments in the British Army.

The Kerry Bog Village is a museum situated in west Kerry focused on the history and culture of Ireland. It recreates traditional Irish thatched cottages and the lives of their inhabitants, and its founder was largely responsible for the resuscitation of the Kerry bog pony as a viable breed. The museum is located between the towns of Killorglin and Glenbeigh. Its structures were built using authentic 18th century construction techniques

The Saint Patrick Centre is one of Northern Ireland's leading attractions and a must see destination on the way from Dublin to Belfast. It is a permanent interpretative exhibition centre featuring interactive displays on the life and story of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The exhibition explores the legacy of Patrick, ancient and modern, and recalls the saint’s own story – in his own words.

The Siege Museum and Exhibition is a permanent display of the history of the Siege of Londonderry and of the Associated Clubs of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, including artefacts, video and interactive media. The museum contains three modern galleries and includes audio visuals, touchscreens, artefacts and scale models to enhance the visitor experience.

The Tower Museum is one of Ireland's top attractions and takes the visitor on a high-tech audio-visual narrative tour of the Story of Derry. It is located in Union Hall Place, within a historic tower just inside the city walls, near the Guildhall. The museum has two permanent exhibits; The Story of Derry which presents the history of Derry from its prehistoric origins to the present, and An Armada Shipwreck – La Trinidad Valencera which details the local shipwreck from the Spanish Armada.

Clare Museum is a museum which documents the history of County Clare. The museum is housed in the former Sisters of Mercy Convent in the centre of Ennis. The building in which the museum is housed was originally a Sisters of Mercy school and chapel dating from 1854. The museum's collections document the history of County Clare over 6000 years. One permanent gallery displays some of these objects in an exhibition called The Riches of Clare, which occupies two galleries.

Waterford County Museum located in Dungarvan, County Waterford. It features the history of Dungarvan and district with a series of illustrated panels and displays. The museum and its collections aim to document, collect and preserve the history of Dungarvan and west County Waterford. The museum is split into two areas, one for the permanent collections, and one for temporary exhibitions.