Cork Public Museum
Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí
Cork Public Museum is located in Cork Central
Cork Public Museum
Location within Cork Central
Established1910
LocationMardyke walk, Cork, Ireland
Coordinates51°53′46″N 8°29′39″W / 51.8961°N 8.4943°W / 51.8961; -8.4943
TypeCity museum
AccreditationDesignated county museum (NMI)
OwnerCork City Council

Cork Public Museum (Irish: Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí)[1] is a city museum in Cork, Ireland. Housed in a mid-19th century building within Fitzgerald Park in the Mardyke area of the city,[2] the museum's exhibits focus mainly on the history and archaeology of the Cork area.[3][4]

Building history

The original museum building is a converted Georgian house within Cork's Fitzgerald Park. Built in 1845 by the Beamish brewing family,[5] the house and gardens were purchased by Cork Corporation to become part of the 44-acre site of the 1902 Cork International Exhibition.[6][7] During the 1902 exhibition (a type of "world's fair"), the house hosted visiting dignitaries and royalty such as Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.[8][5] 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.[6] Part-used as a local authority air-raid protection office[6] and shelter,[3] the museum partially closed during "The Emergency" (WWII) and reopened in 1945.[6] It was managed by University College Cork until the 1960s, when museum administration reverted to the city council.[9] 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.[10]

Exhibits

Afforded "designated county museum" status by the National Museum of Ireland, the museum is legally allowed to retain objects on behalf of the State or on loan from the National Museum.[11][12]

Exhibits focus on the archaeological record of the Cork area, including finds from excavations around the city's medieval walls,[13] 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.[14][15] 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.[13][16] Temporary exhibits have covered the Irish experience during World War I,[17][18] and Irish Traveller culture.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Partnerships and Projects – Designated County Museums". Museum.ie (in Irish). National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Travel Guide – Cork City – Cork Public Museum and Fitzgerald's Park". Rose Of Tralee (Tourism) Company Ltd. 12 September 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Places to Visit " Museums " Cork Public Museum". DoChara.com. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Culture Night 2015 – Cork Public Museum". Culturenight.ie. Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Cork Museum, Fitzgerald Park, Mardyke Walk, Cork, Cork City". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Corporate and External Affairs – Museum". Cork City Council. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "Season Tickets for Cork International Exhibition 1902". Museum.ie. National Museum of Ireland. July 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Architects >> Museum, Fitzgerald's Park". Cork City Council. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Civic Buildings > Cork Public Museum". Cork Heritage Open Day. May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "About Cork 2005 – Capital Projects". Cork2005.ie. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Projects and Programmes / Designated Museums". Ahg.gov.ie. Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. 3 July 2015.
  12. ↑ Cullen, Martin (17 December 2009). "Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism – Museum Accommodation". Oireachtas Written Answers (Report).
  13. 1 2 "Cork Public Museum". DiscoveringCork.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Cork City – Museums and attractions – Cork Public Museum". Ireland.com. Tourism Ireland (official site). Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Cork Public Museum". Cork-guide.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Vikings didn't wear horned helmets. The Iron Age Irish did (A history of Ireland in 100 objects)". The Irish Times. 2 July 2011.
  17. ↑ "Museum's replica trench designed to capture horrors of war". Irish Examiner. 19 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "Cork Public Museum". Cork Culture Night. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  19. ↑ "Exhibitions at Cork Public Museum 2005– Barrel Topped Wagon & Traveller Culture Exhibition". Cork City Council. October 2005. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
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