How many sites does the National Museum of Ireland have?

Four sites: Archaeology (Kildare Street, Dublin) — the main site with Irish antiquities; Decorative Arts and History (Collins Barracks, Dublin) — Irish furniture, silver, and military history; Natural History ('the Dead Zoo', Merrion Street, Dublin) — Victorian zoological displays; and Country Life (Turlough Park, County Mayo) — rural Irish life.

What is the Tara Brooch?

The Tara Brooch is an 8th-century penannular brooch discovered in 1850 near Bettystown, County Meath — not Tara, despite the name. It is covered in fine filigree gold, silver, glass, and amber, and is considered one of the supreme masterpieces of early medieval European art.

Europe Free Admission

National Museum of Ireland

Dublin · Ireland · Founded 1877

Ireland's national museum — free to enter, with the Tara Brooch, the Ardagh Chalice, Iron Age bog bodies, Viking Dublin, and the world's most important collection of early medieval Irish art.

About National Museum of Ireland

The National Museum of Ireland was established in 1877 and now operates four sites across Dublin and County Mayo. The principal site — the Archaeology branch on Kildare Street — holds the national collection of Irish antiquities, which is internationally recognised as one of the most important collections of early medieval art in the world.

The collection's greatest treasures are the masterpieces of early medieval Irish metalwork: the Tara Brooch (c. AD 700), a penannular brooch of extraordinary intricacy in gold, silver, amber, and glass; the Ardagh Chalice (8th century), one of the finest examples of early Christian metalwork anywhere in Europe; and the Derrynaflan Hoard. The Viking Dublin galleries present the archaeological finds from Wood Quay, documenting Ireland's most significant Viking settlement. The Natural History branch (nicknamed 'the Dead Zoo') presents Victorian-era zoological displays unchanged since the 19th century — a museum piece in its own right.

Collections & Highlights

The Tara Brooch (c. AD 700) — one of the greatest masterpieces of early medieval European art

The Ardagh Chalice — an 8th-century communion chalice of extraordinary craftsmanship

Viking Dublin — archaeological finds from the Wood Quay excavations

Iron Age bog bodies — the preserved remains of Iron Age ritual sacrifice victims

Frequently Asked Questions

Dublin, Ireland

National Gallery of Ireland

A small ask before you go

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