Just a small note to let you all know that we’ll be CLOSED on Thursday for St Patrick’s Day.
We wish you all a great day, and we’ll be open as usual then from Friday.
PS. Keep an eye out for us in a parade near you!
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Join us for a hands on 1916 learning experience
Learn by having fun, and have fun learning!
Join us for a hands on 1916 learning experience
We know that history needs to come to life when teaching kids. That’s why we tailor our School Tours for your specific needs.
Want to learn about WWI or WWII? Would our special 1916 exhibition benefit your class? With our philosophy of hands-on learning, we let pupils interact with original war artefacts. It makes learning so much more fun!
We take the needs to the curriculum into full account when creating our school experiences.
Get our school tour Gold Package for €19.16 per head, which includes:
- Full guided tour of the museum, including a section dedicated to 1916 and a focus on WWI & WWII
- A visit to a replica WWI trench in the grounds of the museum
- A spin in a military tank
- Weapons display (blank firing) with original period rifles
- The chance to handle original weapons (deactivated and perfectly safe) and equipment
- Access to our playground and animal farm
Contact us to find out more.
WWII Club Q&A – this weekend.
For anyone who is interested in re-enactment or if you have an interest in learning more about it, the World War II club will be here at the Irish Military War Museum this weekend – that’s Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st January.
They will be hosting a Q&A session, so get your queries ready for them!
All are welcome, so we hope you’ll join us to fuel your interest in WWII re-enactment.
A moving and poignant trip to the Somme
The Irish Military War Museum team was privileged to attend a reburial service for Sergeant David Harkness Blakey MM at the beginning of October, in Thiepval, France.
Sergeant Blakey was reported missing during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was killed on the first day of the battle, 1st July. He was just 26 years-old.
Amazingly, Sergeant Blakey’s remains were found during routine roadworks being carried out ahead of the Battle of the Somme centenary commemorations. They were found close to the Ulster Tower, and he was identified by his metal identification tag.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission held the service on October 8th at 11am, for Sergeant Blakey and two unknown comrades; one from the Royal Irish Rifles, one from the Cambridgeshire Regiment.
Reverend Robert J Birnie CF, Chaplain to 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment, conducted the service. In attendance were representatives of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Regiment, UK Defence Staff and local dignitaries.
Some of Sergeant Blakey’s family members were also present, including his great-great-grandchildren
It was a very moving, thought-provoking ceremony, which was very touching to be a part of.
Irish Volunteers Commemorative Organisation presents 1916
On September 5th and 6th, the Irish Military War Museum will be hosting an exhibition on 1916 by the Irish Volunteers Commemorative Organisation.
The IVCO will exhibit artefacts and tell the stories of the Irish Volunteers in hope of promoting a better understanding of Irish history in the years leading up to the formation of the Irish state.
We’re really looking forward to hosting the weekend, which is sure to be informative and interactive.
There’s plenty of information available on the IVCO website.
When we get more details of the weekend, we’ll post them here on our blog.
Your Views
We get so much great feedback on Facebook, Twitter and Trip Advisor, and we thought we’d share some of it with you.
If you haven’t been to visit us yet and you need convincing, see if this does the trick…
“I will be back again in the future. There is nothing like it in Ireland. Thank you to every one who made the experience so enjoyable.”
“Brilliant day out. The staff are so nice and friendly and so welcoming . So much to do and see. Fabulous playground too. Can’t wait to go again.”
“I’ve never seen my 7 year old smile so much. Great day.”
That’s just a few quotes from reviewers on Facebook. You can check out the whole list here.
And it doesn’t stop there – we’re getting great reviews on Trip Advisor as well…
“A World War buff’s dream made accessible for all”
“…the fact we could touch the artefacts, including decommissioned guns and grenades made it so much more real.”
“We’ve visited quite a few war museums from London to Paris to New Orleans and this place ranks among the best…”
We’ll see you soon then?
Official Opening – Big Thanks!
We’d like to thank everyone who turned up to our official opening on Friday 1st May. It was great to see so many people with a shared interest in military history. We were pretty lucky with the weather as well!
Thanks to Karl Martin, you can relive the best bits in a perfectly put together highlights package…
Living History Festival: More events announced
Want to know a little bit more about our upcoming events at the Living History Festival?
Here’s a breakdown of a few talks and events taking place on 2nd & 3rd May.
| EVENT | TIME |
| Learn how to March like a WW2 American GI | 12 noon and 2 pm |
| “The War of the White Death”, talk on Finland’s War | 1 pm Saturday |
| French Resistance and SOE, Behind Enemy Lines. | Throughout the 2 days |
| Infantry Weapons of The WW2 Soldier. | Throughout the 2 days |
| “Point Du Hoc – Rangers Lead the Way”. A talk on the amazing Ranger Raid on D-day. | 1 pm Saturday
3 pm Sunday |
| Waterloo 200 yrs on, why Napoleon Won. | 3pm & 5pm Saturday |
| The Fighting French of WW2. | Throughout the 2 days |
Closed on May 14th
€2 entry tomorrow
Join us tomorrow (21st April) for a day of action. Entry to the museum will be just €2 for adults and €2 for kids and proceeds will be donated to ONE (The Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women). You’ll also get a mini-medal to take home with you to say thanks for your donation.
ONE, founded in 1951, takes care of the welfare of ex-servicemen and women of the Irish Defense Services. It also provides accommodation to homeless, elderly or disabled members in of shelter as well as developing a spirit of comradeship between serving and retired members of the services. All-in-all, it’s a worthy cause.
We’re very proud to be supporting this charity tomorrow, and it’d be great if you could to. Just €2 in the door is all it takes, and we’ll make sure you get a proper look around the museum and its grounds in return.
Thanks in advance for your support.