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Halloween Family Fun & October Bank holiday weekend opening times

Join Me and The Moon at Kerry County Museum on Sat 28 and Sun 29 October to celebrate Oíche Sahmhna. You can create your own spooky haunted house at this creative construction workshop. The event is drop-in, no booking necessary and included in the general admission fee: €5 per adult; children go free as part of our family admission offer. We also have a lovely Halloween activity booklet, trail and spooky colouring for you from 20 October until 6 November as part of your museum visit.

October Bank holiday opening hours:

Sat 28 October: 9:30am – 5pm (last admission at 4pm)

Sun 29 October: 10am – 5pm (last admission at 4pm)

Mon 30 October: 10am – 5pm (last admission at 4pm)

By |October 23rd, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Kieran Cahill is the Kerry Young Historian 2023

In a joint event by Kerry County Museum, Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society and Kerry County Council as part of Architecture Kerry 2023, Kieran Cahill, a graduate of CBS, Tralee was presented with the overall Kerry Young Historian Award by Jimmy Deenihan at Kerry County Museum on 27 September. Awards were also presented in the junior, senior and highly commended categories to Anna O’ Mahony, Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, Aaron Harty, Mercy Mounthawk, Lauren Coffey, Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, Rory O’ Flaherty, Mercy Mounthawk, Niamh O’ Donnell, Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, Siobhan Griffin, Mercy Mounthawk, Edel O’ Donoghue, Presentation Seconday School, Castleisland and Adam Lucid, Castleisland Community College (absent). Also in the photo are Claudia Kohler, Kerry County Museum, Victoria McCarthy, Kerry County Council, Tony Bergin and Edel Codd from Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society. The award ceremony is followed by a gallery talk, display and demonstration by archaeologist and historical advisor Dave Swift of Claíomh who will investigate the material culture of 1916 and the Irish Revolutionary Era. Photos: Pauline Dennigan

Photo: Pauline Dennigan

By |September 29th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

AK23 Event: 1916 & The Irish Revolutionary Era

Join material heritage expert Dave Swift of Cláiomh at Kerry County Museum for a drop-in living history demonstration showcasing the material culture of the Irish revolutionary era. This event is suitable for all and all are welcome to this interactive workshop as part of Architecture Kerry 2023.

For full event programme please have a look here:

By |September 29th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Autumn Events Programme: The Museum After Dark

We are delighted to announce that Kerry County Museum is hosting a series of free evening events this autumn. Our varied programme of events will showcase Kerry’s rich history and heritage through gallery talks, discussions, interactive demonstrations, life music and storytelling. This series of events is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through their After Hours at the Museum Scheme 2023 #NTE23

By |September 9th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

The Museum After Dark: Culture Night Events Friday 22 September

The 18th edition of Culture Night will take place on Friday 22 September 2023 and we are going to throw our doors open at 6pm so you can experience the Museum after dark. Explore our vibrant historical and cultural exhibitions, engage in hands-on activities for all the family. Kicking off Culture Night at 6pm are the dynamic Skills for Life students, who will launch their new music video BRAVE at 6pm: “This year’s music will show the world that you should give no matter how we struggle we should everything a go! Say what you want to say!”

A special treat for families awaits –  the fabulous medieval re-enactment group THE LAST PRINCE is back by popular demand and will populate the streets of Medieval Tralee so you can take your fun pictures, join in the fun and games of times gone by and celebrate Culture Night medieval style! You can also look forward to a permormance by the Kerry Ukrainian choir and join members of our MUSEUM CULTURE CLUB for a dazzling culture sharing dance performance in partnership with Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre.

Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir is brought to you by the Arts Council and we would like to thank our local Kerry Arts Office for all their support in making Culture Night one of our flagship events every year. We also also like to acknowledge the financial support of the event by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through their After Hours at the Museum Scheme 2023 #NTE23

Events at a Glance:

6pm-10pm: Welcome to the Museum After Dark – all exhibitions are open!

6pm-10pm: Living history group THE LAST PRINCE will populate the Medieval Experience for the enjoyment of all.

6pm: Premiere show of Skills for Life’s new music video “Brave” – Be ready to be inspired!

6pm-7pm: Learn a Ukrainian dance with our Museum Culture Club, a culture and heritage-sharing initiative for everyone in the local community.

7pm-7.45pm: We are delighted to welcome the Kerry Ukraine Choir for a special performance at Kerry County Museum!

All are welcome!

Family fun at the Museum
The Last Prince: Living History – Life in Gaelic Medieval Ireland
Skills For Life

A list of all events in Kerry can be found here: https://culturenight.ie/events/?_sft_location=kerry

By |September 5th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Poetry as Commemoration: Creative Writing Workshops 2 & 9 September

Join poet John W. Sexton and Kerry County Museum curator Helen O’Carroll for two unique creative writing workshops on Saturday 2 and 9 September from 11am – 1pm.

Guided by writer John W. Sexton, participants are invited to respond creatively to a selection of War of Independence & Civil War artefacts from the Kerry County Museum collection.

Poems composed during the workshops will be collected and preserved in a special Poetry as Commemoration archive housed in UCD Special Collections. Participants who have family stories or materials relating to the revolutionary period are invited to share these, but no family connection is necessary and all are welcome.

Please note that participants should attend both workshops. One ticket allows access to both workshops on 2 and 9 September. This is a free event but booking via Eventbrite is necessary: Book Now

By |August 17th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Féile Thrá Lí – New exciting streetfest 18-22 August

Féile Thrá Lí, the Tralee StreetFest will take place between August 18-22 to coincide with the Rose of Tralee International Festival. Featuring parades, live music, street theatre, markets, fireworks and an extensive programme of family fun, the Féile will incorporate all the traditional elements of festivals in previous years. As part of the festival, Kerry County Museum is delighted to offer free entry to our special temporary exhibition “Gowns of Glory – The Rose of Tralee dresses through the decades”. Young heritage hunters can also pick up a free Tralee Town Park spotter sheet at the museum and go on a journey of discovery to explore all of the park’s hidden gems. We also highly recommend a visit to Tralee Library who is hosting their popular annual Rose Memorabilia Exhibition. Full details of the programme can be found on www.festivaltralee.com. Hard copies are available at Tralee Library, Tourist Information Office, Kerry County Museum and other local businesses around town. Please note that from 16 – 22 August entry to Kerry County Museum is via the Tourist Information Office, which is located on the playground facing side of the Ashe Memorial Hall.

By |August 17th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Heritage Week Events 2023

By |August 6th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Gowns of Glory: Rose of Tralee Dresses Through the Decades on Display from July to September

The Rose of Tralee Festival is held every year during the month of August, coinciding with National Heritage Week. The festival takes his inspiration from the 19th century ballad of the same name, and the centrepiece is a competition, broadcast live on national TV, in which a young woman is crowned as the Rose of Tralee. Entrants come from over sixty Rose Centres globally, and the winning Rose represents the Festival and Ireland in a year-long ambassadorial role at home and abroad. ‘Gowns Of Glory’ charts the changing styles over the decades with more than 40 dresses on display worn by the winning Rose of Tralee over the past 60 years and entry is free during Heritage Week.

Also on display are memorabilia from Alice O’Sullivan, the first Rose of Tralee in 1959, including her fob watch, clutch bag and ‘Dublin’ sash. The dresses are part of a wider context in fashion trends, and some are very much of their time, notably the 1980s with its puffy sleeves and flouncy skirts. Styles have become sleeker since then, with designs aiming for a timeless elegance. In the early years the Roses either made their own dresses or bought “off-the-rack”. From 1978 the competition was broadcast live on RTÉ, and this had a major impact in the following decades. Designers became keen to get their styles shown on one of the nation’s most watched TV programmes, and many of the gowns on display were designed specifically for the occasion.

The Rose of Tralee is a national institution, loved and loathed in equal measure. Its critics argue that it is a relic of an Ireland that no longer exists, with outdated notions of Irish femininity. Supporters point to the increasing diversity of the Roses as reflecting a changing Ireland. Revealing much about the tensions between the country’s past, present, and its future direction, this annual debate bears down heavily on an event that for many is about entertainment and the glorious gúnas.

Do you have a story or special memory about the Rose of Tralee or any object relating to the festival? We would love to hear from you: education@kerrymuseum.ie

By |July 22nd, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

Kids go Free: Summer Family Fun at your Museum

Did you know that Kerry County Museum is open seven days a week during the summer? And better still: children go free as part of our family offer. So why not visit us this summer and explore our engaging exhibitions with the Pangur Bán Discovery Trail, a family activity trail with many hands-on activities along the way. If you are in Kerry during National Heritage Week (12-20 August), make sure to check out our wide range of Heritage Week events: From mixed-media arts & crafts sessions inspired by prehistoric tools to interactive workshops exploring childhood in Stone Age and Viking Kerry, there is something for all the family. All are welcome!

By |July 22nd, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized||

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