Cork Public Museum ( ga, Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí) is a city museum in

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, Ireland. Housed in a mid-19th century building within Fitzgerald Park in the Mardyke area of the city, the museum's exhibits focus mainly on the history and archaeology of the Cork area.

Building history

The original museum building is a converted Georgian house within Cork's Fitzgerald Park. Built in 1845 by the Beamish brewing family, the house and gardens were purchased by

Cork Corporation Cork City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Cork in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Prior to the enactment of the 2001 Act ...

to become part of the 44-acre site of the 1902 Cork International Exhibition. During the 1902 exhibition (a type of "

world's fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...

"), the house hosted visiting dignitaries and royalty such as

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

and

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of ...

. Following the exhibition, much of the site and gardens were repurposed as a public park, and in 1910, the house was reopened as a museum. Part-used as a local authority air-raid protection office and

shelter Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. Shelter may also refer to: Places * Port Shelter, Hong Kong * Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations * Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locatio ...

, the museum partially closed during "The Emergency" (WWII) and reopened in 1945. It was managed by

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one o ...

until the 1960s, when museum administration reverted to the city council. A single-storey extension was added ahead of Cork's tenure as European City of Culture 2005, and includes increased exhibition space and a café.

Exhibits

Afforded "designated county museum" status by the

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thr ...

, the museum is legally allowed to retain objects on behalf of the State or on loan from the National Museum. Exhibits focus on the archaeological record of the Cork area, including finds from

excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

around the city's medieval walls, as well as the economic and municipal history of the city, such as civic regalia and artefacts covering the merchant history of the

Port of Cork The Port of Cork () is the main port serving the South of Ireland, County Cork and Cork City. It offers all six shipping modes (i.e. Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk and Cruise). In 2015, over 11 million ton ...

. Other displays include Bronze Age mining tools from copper mines in West Cork, locally discovered Iron Age helmet horns, and ancient Greek and Egyptian artefacts. Temporary exhibits have covered the Irish experience during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, and Irish Traveller culture.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Local museums in the Republic of Ireland Museums in County Cork Tourist attractions in Cork (city) Buildings and structures in Cork (city) 1910 establishments in Ireland Art museums established in 1910