A HISTORY OF Ireland’s wars, the Irish pictures of a renowned photojournalist and the impact of rural electrification on the lives of women in the home are some of the main features of this year’s National Museum of Ireland programme.

The NMI today launched its 2019 programme, which will see five temporary exhibitions staged by the museum alongside its usual long-term collections. 

The museum said its programme will keep in line with its Master Vision Statement 2018 – 2032 with a commitment to engage diverse and new audiences.

The theme of the 2019 programme of events is “Community”. 

The five flagship temporary exhibitions which form part of this year’s programme are:

The First Dáil – ‘Marching on the Road to Freedom: Dáil Éireann 1919′

A new exhibition on display at Collins Barracks since January and running until the end of the year, it commemorates the first meeting of Dáil Éireann on 21 January 1919.

Notable artefacts include the ‘Declaration of Independence’ handwritten by Éamon de Valera; boots worn by Harry Boland during his secret trip to the USA; the seal of Dáil Éireann, used by the first and second Dáil. 

(A)Dressing Our Hidden Truths – An artistic response to the legacy of mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries by Alison Lowry

This exhibition is an artistic response to exposing parts of the countries past that were hidden truths for many years, including – the Magdalene Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes, Industrial Schools and rape culture.

It will launch at Collins Barracks next week and run for the remainder of the year.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

An exhibition of 50 images of Ireland – as well as notes, correspondence, original contact prints, and associated artefacts – taken by world-renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson will run at Collins Barracks from May to September. 

Kitchen Power: Women’s experiences of rural electrification

An exhibition looking at the impact of rural electrification, and in particular the effect of rural electrification on women in the Irish home in the 1950s and 1960s.

It will run from July this year until May 2020 at National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, in Castlebar, Co Mayo. 

Irish Wars

A conference and exhibition commemorating Ireland’s War of Independence and Civil War. The exhibition will open on 3 December this year. 

As well as the temporary exhibitions NMI will have its long-term collection spanning archaeology, decorative arts, history, ethnography, folk life and natural history open to the public. 

It will also host and sponsor a number of education and community outreach events throughout the year.

‘Preserve and present the stories of Ireland’

Commenting on the upcoming programme, Lynn Scarff – who became director of the NMI in July of last year – said:

“At the National Museum of Ireland, our role is to preserve and present the stories of Ireland and its place in the world and it is with that in mind that we have designed our programme of activities for 2019.

We have a rich and varied programme of events planned for the year, with a view to engaging, entertaining and educating as many audiences and communities as possible, old and new.