Cavan County Museum

About the museum

Cavan County Museum opened in June 1996 in a former convent of the Poor Clare Sisters at Ballyjamesduff, a building of the late nineteenth century that keeps many of its architectural features. The galleries cover more than 7,000 years of the history of County Cavan and are spread over three floors.

Among the oldest exhibits are the Killycluggin Stone, believed to be 4,000 to 6,000 years old, and the Lough Errill log boat, alongside Neolithic axe heads, Bronze Age weapons, medieval jewellery and Sheela-na-gigs. Other galleries deal with the Great Famine, emigration from Cavan, the Lords Farnham, the singer-songwriter Percy French, the story of the nuns, letters home from the First World War, the railway age, and the GAA and Camogie. Collections such as the Pig House Collection, the Folklife Gallery and the Museum of Broken Things show everyday life in more recent times.

The grounds hold a Peace Garden, an immersive 1916 Rising experience and an award-winning reconstruction of a First World War trench, built to the manual of the Irish Guards and the Royal Irish Fusiliers at the Somme. There is also a playground and a tea room.

Highlights

• Killycluggin Stone and the Lough Errill log boat
• Outdoor First World War trench experience
• Galleries on the Famine, Percy French, the Lords Farnham and the GAA
• Folklife Gallery and the Museum of Broken Things
• Peace Garden, playground and tea room

Permanent exhibitions

• Indoor galleries – Three floors of galleries on Cavan from the Stone Age to the twentieth century, including the Killycluggin Stone, the Folklife Gallery, the Famine, Percy French, the GAA and the Farnham family.
• World War I Trench Experience – Outdoor reconstruction of a First World War trench based on the Irish Guards and Royal Irish Fusiliers manual used at the Somme.
• 1916 Rising Experience – Immersive outdoor display on the 1916 Rising set in the museum grounds beside the Peace Garden.

Founded

1996

Admission & discounts

Refreshments for groups can be arranged at an additional cost.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The trench experience has an accessible viewing platform. The museum is in a historic building with limited space on some floors; contact the museum about access needs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Playground / play area

The museum caters for family days out and school groups, and the grounds include a playground and the Nun's Walk.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Virginia Road in Ballyjamesduff; no public transport or parking details are given on the website.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Tea rooms serve hot drinks; there is also a playground and the Nun's Walk in the grounds.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit