Limerick Museum

Limerick Museum

Established	1906 (1906)
Location	Henry Street, Limerick
Collection size	Over 50,000 objects

Limerick Museum, previously known as the Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum, is a city museum in Limerick, Ireland.

Foundation

The Limerick Museum was founded in 1907 and in the Carnegie Free Library and Museum building (established by Andrew Carnegie on Pery Square. Limerick Museum opened to the public in 1916 and remained in Pery Square until 1975. In 1979, the Museum relocated to two restored houses in John Square. In 1998 the Museum was on the move again this time to Castle Lane where it opened to the public in 1999. In 2012, the Museum was moved to a temporary location Civic Buildings, Merchant's Quay in due to the refurbishment and expansion of King John's Castle (Limerick). In May 2017, it moved to the present location in the old Franciscans Friary on Henry Street.

The museum is run by Limerick City and County Council. It is fully accessible to all. Entry to the museum is free.

Limerick Museum received national recognition as a museum under the Cultural Institution Act 1997, which allowed it to become a designated museums of the collection of archaeological material. Before 1977 the Limerick city librarian was also the curator. The full-time museum curators included: Larry Walsh - 1977 to 2012.; Brian Hodkinson - 2012 to 2017; Dr Matthew Potter - 2017 to Present.

The mission of Limerick Museum is to collect, preserve and display items relating to the history of Limerick city and county from the Stone Age to the present day. It has a collection of sixty thousand objects gathered through donations, purchase and long term loan.

Exhibitions

The first exhibition ever held in Limerick Museum was in 1940 to commemorate the centenary of the death of Limerick novelist Gerald Griffin. Since then there have been a series of exhibitions on various aspects of Limerick's history and culture. This gives an opportunity for the rotation of objects within the collection by topic. For example in the Retrospective Exhibition the Charter of the City signed by King Charles II of England, a sword given to the city by Queen Elizabeth I of England as well as many other interesting items relating to civic life in the city were on display.

In 2014, during the Limerick City of Culture, Limerick Museum collaborated with Limerick Archives under the name LM&A Limerick Museum and Archives in the production of the Retrospective a two part exhibition held between April 2014 to December 2014 marking the end of Limerick City and Limerick County Councils. The Limerick City Council exhibition was held in Limerick Museum and marked 800 years of local government in the city. Limerick County Council exhibition was held in County Hall, Dooradoyle, Limerick and marked 125 years of local government in the county. The Limerick Museum also hosted a Limerick lace exhibition with LM&A to launched to coincide with the publication of the Amazing Lace book by Dr. Matthew Potter, Edited by Jacqui Hayes in December 2014.

Noted Items in the Collection

• The largest meteorite ever to fall on the British Isles lands at Adare, County Limerick.
• A rare intact Codd-neck bottle
• Largest collection of Limerick lace.
• Selection of 18th and 19th Century Limerick Silver
• Scabbard used by Lord Edward Fitzgerald at his arrest in 1798
• Three Blunderbuss firearms
• Stone Age and Iron Age Archaeological finds
• A range of clothing including a gentleman's suit c.1706

See also

• History of Limerick
• Limerick Museum and Archives
• Hunt Museum
• Limerick City Gallery of Art
• List of museums in the Republic of Ireland

External links

• Limerick Museum website
• Limerick Museum on TripAdvisor