DESTINATION IRELAND
AUTUMN / WINTER 21 40
A virtual look at Ireland ’ s great museums
Enjoy Ireland ’ s rich history and heritage without leaving your home as the island ’ s museums open their doors virtually .
Ireland has many fabulous museums that you can visit from the comfort of your armchair . So why not put your feet up and sneak a peek at what they have to offer by taking a virtual tour .
1 . National Gallery
Take an armchair stroll through the Grand Gallery to see large-scale paintings such as Jan Wyck ’ s The Battle of the Boyne and works by Goya and Gainsborough . Then take the sweeping staircase down to the Shaw Room to view Maclise ’ s impressive The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife .
7 . Irish National Heritage Park
Travel through the millennia in a video overview of the 40-acre Heritage Park , which has 16 historical reconstructions spanning 9,000 years of Ireland ’ s history . You can also discover fun facts about prehistoric Ireland in a series of Heritage Park Digital videos .
2 . Natural History Museum
Explore four fascinating floors of the museum and wonder at Irish fauna such as giant deer , mammals of the world , fascinating underwater domains and one of the world ’ s largest collections of Blaschka models – unique nineteenth-century glass miniatures of animal and plants .
3 . EPIC , The Irish Emigration Museum
Immerse yourself in Ireland ’ s dramatic emigration story on a virtual tour of EPIC . Along the way you ’ ll learn about the journeys of Ireland ’ s 10 million emigrants and hear the stories of Irish people who made their mark on the world .
4 . Ulster Folk Museum
Click your way through the highlights of the Ulster Folk Museum and discover what life was like in Ulster over 100 years ago . Visit workshops , schools , churches , shops and homes and get an insight into the history of the period .
5 . Medieval Museum , Waterford
Feast your eyes on some of the great treasures of medieval Ireland and Europe as you tour this award-winning museum . Among the gems are stunning fifteenth-century cloth-of-gold vestments and the Great Parchment Book of Waterford .
6 . National Library of Ireland
View the sumptuous interior of the library and browse the bookshelves which hold the most comprehensive collection of Irish documentary material in the world . Or view the online exhibitions that include digital versions of rare documents and photographs .
8 . Titanic Experience , Cobh
Step into the shoes of passengers of the ill-fated Titanic as they embark on their journey from Cobh , the last port of call for the ocean liner . See replicas of the third-class and first-class cabins on the ship and discover the facts behind its tragic sinking .
9 . National Museum of Ireland , Archaeology
Zoom in and see the wonders of the museum in a virtual tour that will take you up close to Irish art from the Iron Age to the twelfth century , including precious Early Christian religious artifacts and the famous Tara Brooch .
10 . Blackrock Castle Observatory
Take part in the Daily Astro Challenge presented by the Observatory . Whether or not you have a telescope , you can turn your eyes to the heavens and become familiar with the glories of the night sky .
www . ireland . com