Top 10 Intriguing Facts about National Museum of Ireland – Natural History

National Museum of Ireland – Natural History.Author William Murphy. WIKIMEDIA

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about National Museum of Ireland – Natural History

The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History is housed on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland. The museum was built in 1856 for parts of the collection of the Royal Dublin Society. Later, the building and the collection were passed to the state.

The museum hosts animals from all over the world. The history of collecting extends over two centuries and has resulted in a rich variety of animals, many of which are now endangered or extinct. The tradition of collecting and research continues and only a fraction of the two million specimens is on display.

The National Museum of Ireland-Natural History has galleries of animals from Ireland. Moreover, geological exhibits from a total collection of about two million scientific specimens. It is affectionately called the ‘Dead Zoo’ and has hardly changed in over 150 years from the Victorian period.

Previously, there was a botanical collection, but it was transferred to the National Botanic Gardens in 1970. As with many other natural history museums, the majority of specimens are not on display, for example, the geological collections.

Let’s learn Top 10 Intriguing Facts about the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History

1. The Museum is also known as the Dead Zoo

Natural History Museum, Ireland.Author Miguel Mendez. WIKIMEDIA

National Museum of Ireland – Natural History is referred to as Dead Zoo. This is because of it skeletons of the 11,000-year-old giant dear and Spoticus the giraffe. Furthermore, the whale skeletons are suspended from the roof.

2. The Museum was Built to House the Royal Dublin Society’s Collection

The collection of the Royal Dublin Society was growing. This resulted in the building of the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History in 1856.

 In 1792 the Society purchased the collection of Nathaniel Gottfried Leske under the instruction of Richard Kirwan. Leske’s collection was one of Europe’s largest natural history collections.

The building was designed by architect Frederick Clarendon. The frame of the building is cast iron, largely clad internally with timber on the upper floors. The exterior uses dressed granite and Portland stone.

The museum building was opened in August 1857. The first event was a Conversazione on 27 August attended by 1500 including Earl Carlisle. On 31 August the explorer David Livingstone delivered a lecture in the museum.

3. The First Exhibitions Consisted of Plants From Botanic Gardens

The first exhibitions were mounted on the first floor. They consisted of plants from the Botanic Gardens. Moreover, there were Kiltorcan fossils, some birds donated by Carte, edible crustaceans and molluscs, Irish Lepidoptera collected by Rev Greene, and fossils and birds collected by McClintock in the Arctic regions.

 There was also a selection of scientific instruments on display. Along with some of the Society’s library books. The ground floor hosted an area for refreshments for the attendees of the lectures.

4. National Museum of Ireland – Natural History Comprises Over Two Million Items

An example of older storage of insect collections is the Natural History Museum Dublin.Author Smirkybec. Wikimedia

The Natural History Collection comprises over 2 million items in the fields of zoology and geology. However, a million of the specimens are insects. There was a botanical collection but this was transferred to the National Botanic Gardens in 1970.

5. Majority of Specimens are not on Display

Majority of Specimens in the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History are not on display. For example the entirety of the geological collections.

 In 1962, a building known as “the Annexe” was demolished to make way for the Dáil Éireann restaurant and office. The building housed the main geological displays.

This led to these collections being placed in storage in buildings in Beggars Bush and elsewhere. Most have remained in storage since then.

6. Electric lighting was introduced to museum buildings in 1882

Electric lighting was introduced to the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History buildings in 1883. However, in 1895 it was deemed sufficient satisfactory and possible to fully replace the gas lighting.

During this period many of the staff members added to the collections of the museum. This included Valentine Ball, Richard J. Ussher, and Alfred Cort Haddon.

Specimens were also purchased from suppliers such as Robert Damon, Edward Gerrard & Sons, Deyrolle, Václav Frič, Wilhelm Schlüter, Rowland Ward and Williams & Son, Dublin. The staff were also involved in cave explorations, the materials from which were deposited in the museum.

7. The Museum Hosts Mammals From Around the World

National Museum of Ireland – Natural History elephant and walrus.Author James Petts.Wikimedia

National Museum of Ireland -Natural History is home to various mammals. The mammals can be found on the first floor of the museum.

The mammals include extinct or endangered species, including in turn a thylacine, and a pygmy hippopotamus. Furthermore, the museum houses a polar bear shot by Admiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock.

 Many of the mounted specimens were purchased from or donated by the Royal Zoological Gardens, Dublin. Part of the large collection of Irish birds bequeathed by Richard Barrington is mounted along one wall.

8. The Museum Witnessed the Collapse of Staircase that Left Eleven People Injured

On the morning of 5 July 2007, the 150-year-old Portland stone staircase partially collapsed. The stairway of the museum was a very ornate structure.

The disaster left 11 people injured. The incident happened as a teacher training course was underway in the area.

9. The museum has been used as a filming location

National Museum of Ireland – Natural History stone staircase.Author James Petts. Wikimedia

National Museum of Ireland – Natural History has been used as a film location. Particularly for Victorian period dramas. These include an episode of Ripper Street, from season 2, in 2013.

 In 2015 Penny Dreadful was filmed in the museum for season 3. The museum stands for the Natural History Museum, London.

Additionally, In 2018, the museum also became a wedding venue. The first wedding was between former staff member Rebecca O’Neill and her fiancé Greg Sheaf.

10. It Displays Invertebrate and Marine Specimens

The upper gallery of the museum displays invertebrate and marine specimens. Moreover, the museum’s collection of Glass Sea Creatures is made by glass artists Leopard.

Additionally, the lower gallery contains bird specimens from around the world. The second ceiling suspends a humpback whale and fin whale skeleton. This floor includes a composite dodo skeleton, from Mauritius.