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IRISH PEOPLE AND tourists are clearly very interested in the country’s past, as the 2013 visitor numbers for the Little Museum of Dublin show.
While in 2012 a total 24,248 people passed through its doors, that jumped by 114 per cent to 51,783 in 2013.
Gobsmacked
Trevor White of the museum told TheJournal.ie: “We are slightly gobsmacked that the figures are that high. We had an extraordinary few months – December and November were just way way higher than we thought they’d be.”
The three days between Christmas and New Year were some of its busiest last year. “It speaks to the interest that Dubliners have in their history,” said White.
The museum is filled with items that members of the public donated themselves. “For many people, it’s a trip down memory lane,” said White, adding that they find many visitors have been recommended to go there by friends or family.
“A lot of people might be in tears, moved by the experience,” he added, saying that running the museum is “a huge privilege”.
White said that “the fact that the people in Dublin have taken ownership of this place in a way, that is gobsmacking”, and that there has been massive interest across a range of age groups.
Its newest exhibition – a collection of photographs of Dublin, taken on vivid colour Kodachrome film by a tourist called Charles Cushman in 1961 – went on show today.
“They are extraordinary photos that have never been exhibited here before,” said White.
Also in 2014, to mark the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf the Little Museum is working with contemporary artist Fergal McCarthy. “We have lots of exciting plans,” said White of the year ahead.
The museum is housed in a building owned by its primary patron, Dublin City Council, and it recently achieved charity status. It opened in 2011 and White said that a huge amount of the footfall is due to word of mouth.
Exhibitions
Curator Simon O’Connor said that their temporary exhibitions in particular have drawn in the crowds. “It’s a very difficult time for cultural institutions,” he pointed out. “A very important part for local visitors was that what we were doing was changing all the time.”
One of the four temporary exhibitions – there is also one permanent exhibition – was of early U2 photographs, which proved to be incredibly popular; another was photos of Dublin street style, and a further exhibit was of photographs from during the 1913 Lockout.
The focus at the Little Museum is social history, a look at “what’s going on behind the scenes for regular people” rather than solely the broader political narrative. “We want to be popular, not necessarily populist,” said O’Connor.
“To create that emotional response and that personal response to what we’re doing. Our goal is to encourage an interest in the city and really be a place that fosters civic pride and civic awareness.”
The Little Museum of Dublin is housed in a landmark Georgian building overlooking St Stephen’s Green. Admission costs €6 and the museum is open seven days a week. Find out more at www.littlemuseum.ie
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Let us hope the families finally get justice for what happened that terrible bloody Sunday.
Murdered by a foreign army on Irish soil…
@pat murphy: horse guards
If it was the case that the soldiers were given advance orders to shoot should they feel it was warranted then that order should be traced up the chain of command. I don’t believe it was a spur of the moment decision
@Brian Jones: I don’t think they needed to feel it was warranted. I was listening to an interview by one of the relatives the other day and he said that one of the soldiers that gave evidence to Saville said that he looked down the barrel of his gun but could see no justification for shooting so he didn’t pull the trigger. Others didn’t seem to care whether it was justified or not.
Will be amazed if these people receive justice, UK 2ont like to admit that it’s own army murdered people
@Barry Somers: agree , but every army murders people!
@Barry Somers: unlikely they will see justice, British soldiers, British courts, British jury…..
Had the pleasure of meeting with these wonderful people from Derry recently when they came to Dublin to support our fight for Justice for the Stardust 48.
We wish them all the best in their quest for Justice. As I have said before…. TRUTH+JUSTICE=PEACE
Give these families justice and peace enough is enough
Like all historic trouble related murders in N.Ireland, it’s time to let go of the past and move on to the future. All trouble related crimes on all sides committed before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement should be subject to a general amnesty. Nobody murdered on any side of the troubles is coming back. Death is a one way street, a shared future is a two way street. Let go of the past and move on to a better, brighter shared future.
@Charles Williams: Easier said than done Charles.
@Charles Williams What you say would make perfect sense but some scars will only begin to heal when everyone associated with them is dead and even then …
@Charles Williams:
The British army were never charged, imprisoned, admitted or apologised for their murders, so they’re not covered by the GFA – which also they were against.
And yet there are still people who were British blood stained poppies.
have your say