Pearse Museum

About the museum

The house in Rathfarnham, called The Hermitage, was built in the late 18th century, and a dentist, Edward Hudson, took a lease on the land in 1786. In 1910 Patrick Pearse, a writer, teacher and Irish language campaigner, moved his bilingual school Scoil Éanna there from Ranelagh. His mother, brother Willie and sisters helped to run the school, and the family lived in the house.

Pearse and his brother were executed for their part in the Easter Rising of 1916, and the school closed soon afterwards. The house and grounds later passed into state hands, and the property is now managed by the Office of Public Works. The Pearse Museum opened in 1979 and covers the story of the Pearse family, the school and the Rising.

Visitors see an exhibition called Who Is Pearse? on the ground floor, together with historic rooms on the upper floors such as the study, the sitting room, the art gallery, a dormitory, the Halla Mór and the school chapel. Personal objects, letters and documents tell the story of the brothers' last days. The museum stands in the park of St Enda's, with walled gardens, woodland, a river valley and follies, and a nature room and café in the courtyard.

Highlights

• Who Is Pearse? exhibition on Patrick Pearse and the 1916 Rising
• Historic rooms including Pearse's study, the dormitory and the school chapel
• Last letter and last-meal objects of the Pearse brothers
• The only known film footage of Pearse, from the funeral of O'Donovan Rossa
• Walled garden and parkland of St Enda's Park
• Free admission

Permanent exhibition

• Who Is Pearse? – A ground floor exhibition on the life of Patrick Pearse, his family and his school, and on his part in the 1916 Rising.

Founded

1979

Operated by

Office of Public Works (OPW)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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 museum lists wheelchair access, a lift and accessible toilets on each floor. A social guide for first-time visitors and people with developmental and learning disabilities can be downloaded from the Heritage Ireland website.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Baby changing facilities are available. The park around the museum offers woodland, a river valley and a nature room in the courtyard.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 8 km from Dublin city centre. Vehicles enter via the main gates on Grange Road; there are pedestrian gates on Grange Road and Whitechurch Road without parking.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

The Schoolroom Café is in the courtyard. Baby changing facilities and toilets are available.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit