Museums and Exhibitions in Co. Cork
7 places
1.Collins Barracks Military Museum
Revolvers, rosary beads and a general's 1922 diary
A small museum inside a working army barracks, telling the story of Collins Barracks, the Defence Forces and one of Ireland's most personal Michael Collins collections. His greatcoat, two revolvers, rosary beads and the diary he was carrying when he was killed are all on display.
- Highlights
- Michael Collins's greatcoat, two revolvers and 1922 diary
- The 1806 Old Guard Room just inside the old Main Gate
- An enclosed glass section overlooking the parade ground
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Skibbereen Heritage Centre (Ionad Oidhreachta an Sciobairín)
Famine history and Ireland's first marine reserve
A small West Cork museum in the old gasworks where Ireland's Great Famine is told through the people of Skibbereen, with a second exhibition on Lough Hyne, Ireland's first marine nature reserve.
- Highlights
- Great Irish Famine Exhibition
- Lough Hyne marine nature reserve exhibition
- In-house West Cork genealogy service
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
3.Cobh Heritage Centre
Three centuries of Irish emigration under one roof
Housed in Cobh's beautifully restored Victorian railway station, this waterfront museum tells the story of the three million Irish emigrants who sailed from this quay — and of the Titanic and Lusitania, both bound up with the town.
- Highlights
- 3 million emigrants sailed from this harbour
- Life-size figures and personal emigration stories
- Titanic and Lusitania exhibitions
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
4.Cork City Gaol
Step inside a castle-like 19th-century prison
Cork City Gaol is a battlemented, castle-like Victorian prison on Sunday's Well where visitors wander the wings among lifelike models and the real stories of 19th-century inmates.
- Highlights
- Castle-like 1824 prison building
- Self-guided tour with multilingual guidebook
- Audio guide and audio-visual show
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
5.West Cork Model Railway Village
The only model village on the island, at 1:24 scale
Ireland's only model village, a hand-built 1:24 scale recreation of the 1940s West Cork Railway and the towns it served, set beside the water in Clonakilty. Miniature trains, boating, diggers and a road-train tour make it a hit with families.
- Highlights
- Ireland's only model village, built entirely on site at 1:24 scale
- Eight G-scale model trains on 500 m of live track
- Choo Choo road train tour of Clonakilty town
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
6.Blackrock Castle Observatory
A 16th-century castle with a planetarium dome
A 16th-century harbour castle that doubles as a working observatory and space science centre, run by Munster Technological University and Cork City Council. Admission covers the award-winning exhibition, a planetarium star show and a self-guided climb to the tower-top views.
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
7.The Butter Museum
once the world's largest butter market
A small, quirky museum in Cork's historic Shandon quarter that tells the story of Irish butter, from ancient dairy culture and the 19th-century Cork Butter Exchange to the craft of home churning. Built around a working butter-making demonstration and a huge collection of vintage butter wrappers.
- Highlights
- Home of the Cork Butter Exchange, once the largest butter market in the world
- Live butter-making demonstrations on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12.00
- Over 150 Irish butter brands in the vintage wrapper collection
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access