Kerry County Museum

About the museum

Kerry County Museum is housed in the Ashe Memorial Hall in Tralee. The building was designed by Thomas Joseph Cullen and opened in 1928 for Kerry County Council and Tralee Urban District Council, replacing the earlier County Hall that was burned down in 1920. It was named in honour of Thomas Ashe, the republican who died in 1917, and was later used for decades as a cinema.

After the councils moved out in 1989 the building stood empty until 1992, when the museum opened here as an initiative of the urban district council. From the start its strength was the archaeology of the county, shown in a walk-through reconstruction of Tralee in 1450. The museum's stated aim is to collect, record, preserve and display the material heritage of County Kerry, and its displays have included an early medieval brooch, duelling pistols used by Daniel O'Connell and an exhibition on the Antarctic explorer Tom Crean.

Since 2026 the Ashe Memorial Hall is being restored and redeveloped under a heritage regeneration scheme, with works planned for 2026 to 2028, the centenary of the building. In March 2026 the upper galleries were closed so that collections could be moved, while the Medieval Experience and an archaeology display remain open. The redeveloped museum is to include a new immersive medieval experience.

Highlights

• Medieval Experience recreating Tralee in 1450
• Archaeology of County Kerry
• Interactive archaeology activity for families
• Ashe Memorial Hall, a landmark of 1928

Permanent exhibitions

• Medieval Experience – A walk-through recreation of the streets of Tralee as they were in 1450, which stays open throughout the restoration works.
• Archaeology Hall – A display on the archaeology of County Kerry; the museum states that, besides the Medieval Experience, only the Archaeology Hall is open during the works.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Kerry County Council

Admission & discounts

Reduced admission during the restoration works; the website lists no other prices or concessions.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The Medieval Experience is interactive, and children can take part in an archaeology activity that involves digging up replica skeletons.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit