Irish Agricultural Museum

Irish Agricultural Museum
Musaem Talmhaíochta na hÉireann
Established 1979
Location Johnstown Castle Estate,
County Wexford, Ireland
Type Agricultural museum
Visitors 10,000 per annum
Director Peter Miller
Curator Matt Wheeler
Website www.irishagrimuseum.ie

The Irish Agricultural Museum (Irish: Musaem Talmhaíochta na hÉireann) is a museum dedicated to the history of Irish rural life. Housed in the farm buildings of Johnstown Castle the collections represent all elements of rural life, including transport, crafts, farming activities and dwelling.[1]

History

In the early 1970s Dr Austin O’Sullivan began collecting materials relating to farming and rural life in Ireland.[2] In 1974 Dr Thomas Walsh, the Director of An Foras Talúntais (now Teagasc), agreed to the foundation of an agricultural museum.[3] From this, a group formed in 1976 with the aim of setting up a museum to house this collection, amongst others.[4] The Museum, housed in the former farm buildings of Johnstown Castle Estate, was opened in 1979 by Irish President Patrick Hillery.[4] Since the opening, the museum has expanded and now occupies 1,600 square metres of gallery space.[5] The establishment and expansion of the Museum has led to the continuing restoration of the estate's farming buildings which date from 1810.[3]

Contents

The main aim of the Museum's collections was to document the changes in farming life in the wake of the industrial revolution, in particular the move away from horse powered machinery to those powered by engines.[6] The collections are organised by agricultural themes, such as diary, the laundry, the kitchen, sugar beet farming and so on.[7] The Museum also features an extensive exhibition on the history of the potato and the Irish Potato Famine mid 1800s.[1] The collection contains number 96 in The Irish Times A History of Ireland in 100 objects, a washing machine from the early 1950s.[8] There are a number of full-scale replicas of workshops of a blacksmith, cooper, wheelwright, harness maker and basket maker.[7]

The Museum won the Best Museum 2014, a competition organised by the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland, in recognition of the role the Museum has played in the preservation and promotion of the material history relating to Irish rural life.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Irish Agricultural Museum". The Heritage Council. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Tucker, David (17 February 2015). "Johnstown agricultural museum one of the best of its kind in Ireland". Wexford People. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 Gaul, Liam (2014). Johnstown Castle: A History. The History Press. ISBN 9780750959018.
  4. 1 2 "About Us". Irish Agricultural Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Best Museum Award For Irish Agricultural Museum". Wexford Local Development. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Irish Agricultural Museum". Ask About Ireland. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 The Liffey Press (2006). The Museums of Ireland: A Celebration. Dublin: The Liffey Press. pp. 69–70. ISBN 1904148883.
  8. ↑ "96. Washing machine, 1950s". A History of Ireland in 100 Objects. Retrieved 10 May 2015.

External links

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