Clare Museum

Over het museum

Clare Museum opened to the public in 2000 in a former convent school in the centre of Ennis. The Sisters of Mercy settled in the town in the 1850s, and the school and chapel that now house the museum were built in 1865 as part of their growing convent, which also included an orphanage and several small workshops. When the community shrank, the buildings were sold to Ennis Urban District Council in 1994. The main convent block was demolished the following year, but the school survived and was redeveloped into a cultural venue with national grant support.

The museum grew out of earlier local collections. A small museum opened on Bindon Street in 1965 and moved to the De Valera Library and Museum on Harmony Row in 1975. These objects later transferred to the new building, where they were joined by a large loan of Clare finds from the National Museum of Ireland. The opening exhibition was called Riches of Clare. In 2002 the building was designated under the National Cultural Institutions Act, which allows it to store archaeological objects found locally, and in 2018 it gained full accreditation under the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland.

Important later additions include the Clare Embroidery Collection, given to the museum in 2017, and a 1947 Dodge limousine once owned by Éamon de Valera, which has stood in the foyer since 2022. The museum is run by Clare County Council. It shares the building with a seasonal tourist information office and shows art exhibitions of the Clare Arts Office.

Hoogtepunten

• Long-term exhibition in five sections: Earth, Power, Faith, Water and Energy
• Éamon de Valera’s 1947 Dodge limousine in the foyer
• Clare Embroidery Collection from a late 19th and early 20th century embroidery school
• Around 500 objects on display and more than 400 more online
• Only museum in Clare holding a loan collection from the National Museum of Ireland

Vaste collectie

• Long-term exhibition – Five sections tell the story of Clare: Earth, Power and Faith on the ground floor, and Water and Energy on the first floor.
• Éamon de Valera’s Dodge limousine – A 1947 Dodge D24 limousine once owned by Éamon de Valera, who represented Clare for four decades, is on long-term display in the foyer.

Opgericht

2000

Beheerder

Clare County Council

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

De toegang is gratis.

Admission is free. Groups of more than five people should contact the museum to book.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Step-free access with automatic doors, a lift between the two floors, an accessible toilet, wheelchairs available on request (two are available) and large-print information about the exhibitions. Visitors with questions about access are asked to get in touch in advance.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour

Activity sheets for junior and senior primary school children are available at the information desk and can also be downloaded from the website.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The museum is in the former Sisters of Mercy convent buildings on Arthur’s Row, opposite the Temple Gate Hotel. Arthur’s Row can be reached from O’Connell Street or from Friars Walk. From the Limerick direction, leave the N18 at Exit 12 onto the N85 and follow signs for Ennis; the museum is at the far side of the Friars Walk car park.

Service & horeca

There is no café in the building, but many cafés and restaurants are nearby. Food and drink are not allowed in the exhibitions. Toilets are available. The Tourist Information Office in the building opens in the summer months.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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