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The Emotion and Rhythms of Ireland’s Past

by Roisín Higgins

Each time I move house I take with me a box full of letters that I have received or never sent. They are fragments of my younger self that I keep because they contain memories of homesickness and heartbreak, adventure and love. They are a good example of how objects ca

National Treasures: Sport and Identity

by Dr Richard McElligott

Sport has always been a powerful platform for the expression of identity. We see this in the crowds decked in their parish colours who flock to county championship matches the length and breadth of Ireland, or the legion of supporters clad in green that follow ou

Towards a social history of the Irish revolution

by Donal Fallon

The events which occurred in Ireland between 1912 and 1923 constitute a revolution, or at least a moment of revolutionary potential. If the state that emerged reflected the aspirations of many in that period remains a debated subject, especially as we move towards the cen

Design Treasures: personal memories and communal histories

by Dr Linda King

Objects prompt memories. They help us understand who we are, where we’ve come from and what we might be. Through them we remember loved ones, precious moments, significant events. They speak to both personal and collective histories.

We have had museums for centurie

Finding Fashion Treasures

by Ruth Griffin

National Treasures looks at history through a sporting, social, political, design and fashion lens. From Currachs to Crolly Dolls, bottles of Blue Nun to black mourning veils all of Irish life is reflected in its many guises through the objects on the show. Looking at hei

National Treasures: Unveiling the Fascinating Links between Sport, Politics and Identity in Ireland

by Dr Richard McElligott

Much like our own lives, objects define a nation’s history. That is the simple but profound concept behind the National Treasures project. It has represented a truly unique example of the Irish public’s engagement with their country’s past. It is t