James Mitchell Museum on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The James Mitchell Geology Museum ( ga, Músaem Geolaíocht Shéamuis Uí Mhistéala) is a geological museum based at the
The museum is now housed in one room, formerly the Geographical Museum. The museum contains specimens of rocks, minerals and fossils, which primarily serve as an educational resource for the students and staff of the University of Galway, but also primary and secondary school children. There are approximately 5000 fossils and 3000 rocks and minerals within the collections. The collections are of particular interest to the study of
University of Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
in the West of Ireland
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
. It is the only remnant of the university's defunct Natural History Museum. Regarded as "Galway's Hidden Museum", it is located in the university's Main Quad and cane be entered through a staircase in that structure's south-east corner.
History
The museum was founded in 1852 and was based on the collections of William King which included rocks, minerals, and fossils. This collection was supplemented by exchanges, donations, and purchases. The original catalogues compiled by King still extant. In 1883 Richard J. Anderson was appointed as Chair of Natural History, Geology and Mineralogy, and amalgamated the geology and zoological collections to form a Natural History Museum. At this time the collection was housed in five rooms, three given over to zoology and two for the geological and palaeontological collections. Upon the death of Anderson, the chair was split into that of Natural History, and Geology and Mineralogy. During the tenure of Professor Henry Cronshaw, the museum was broken up, with only the geological collections remaining in the present location. In 1921, Professor James Mitchell became Chair of Geology and Mineralogy, a position he held until 1966. Under Mitchell's tenure the gallery and collections remained intact. The museum was named in honour of Professor Mitchell in 1977, in recognition of his work within the college. Over the years the collections have undergone periods of neglect and restoration. The first refurbishment happened in 1975, with the space cleaned and redecorated, and specimens conserved. There had been no new specimens added to the collections from 1879 until 1975. The museum specimens were conserved again by FAS workers in the 1990s, which included cataloguing the collections into a computer database.Contents
The museum is now housed in one room, formerly the Geographical Museum. The museum contains specimens of rocks, minerals and fossils, which primarily serve as an educational resource for the students and staff of the University of Galway, but also primary and secondary school children. There are approximately 5000 fossils and 3000 rocks and minerals within the collections. The collections are of particular interest to the study of Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
geology. Much like the Natural History Museum in Dublin, the gallery is in the Victorian cabinet style, a "museum of a museum". The collections were intended to be representative of international geology, with examples from all around the world. The palaeontological collections include a plesiosaur from Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Heri ...
, a German ichthyosaur, and Kiltorcan Devonian flora from County Kilkenny. More recent acquisitions include the Dave McDougall collection, reflecting the current focus on collecting local specimens.
References
{{Museums and galleries in the Republic of Ireland by province 1852 establishments in Ireland Buildings and structures of the University of Galway Geology museums History of County Galway Local museums in the Republic of Ireland Museums established in 1852 Museums in County Galway