What do Billie Eilish, Barack Obama, the author of Gone with the Wind, Tom Cruise, and Muhammad Ali have in common? Charisma is a fair answer, but the truth lies deeper: these celebrities share Irish roots! Along with another 10 million people who, at different times, were forced to leave Ireland and went on to change the world. Prepare to be amazed even more: Dublin’s EPIC Museum presents in an interactive format that Ireland is much more than leprechauns, clovers, and beer.
A bit of history
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum was founded by the current president of WWF and former CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. Neville Isdell himself greets guests at the entrance to the museum (in a multimedia format, of course).
Let’s make it clear: this is not a nerdy museum, but a collection of the cultural code and stories of people forced to emigrate from Ireland since the Middle Ages.
The culmination of emigration was the Great Famine (1845 to 1852), when potato fields across Europe were contaminated, leaving people with nothing to eat and leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths. About a million people managed to escape, mostly to Britain and the USA.
But there’s no bad thing without a good outcome! Centuries later, in every industry – sports, music, literature, cinema, or politics – there are representatives of Irish blood. Not only celebrities, but ordinary people across the world proudly say every day: «I am Irish.»
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum’s exhibitions tell you all about it. But don’t expect boring photo galleries: EPIC is as modern and impressive as possible in terms of technology.
» READ MORE – National Museum of Ireland in Dublin: location and things to see
Practical information
The museum is located in the centre of Dublin, in the Dublin Docks area. You can get there by public transport and sightseeing bus routes.
Dublin Travel Pass with tickets to attractionsTo see the most interesting exhibits, allow about 1.5 hours for your visit. There is a cloakroom, so you won’t have to lug your clothes and bags around.
- EPIC is open daily from 10:00 to 18:45, with the last entrance at 17:00
- From 24 to 26 December (inclusive), the museum is closed
That’s how the Irish know how to surprise and conquer the world! Come to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and rest assured: everything will work out here even without a four-leaf clover!
What’s in store at the museum?
Get ready to immerse yourself in the theme with innovative audio-visual exhibitions and interactive touch screens. To get you started, you’ll be given a special passport: each of the 20 galleries can be stamped during your visit. Adults slap the stamps with great pleasure, and when it comes to children – it’s their favourite pastime!
The first hall of the museum is made in the form of a departure board: here you can see to which countries the Irish were forced to emigrate at different times. The starting point of the route immediately gives an idea of the scale and geography of the phenomenon.
The next room is the emotional centre of the museum. It shows real moments of people saying goodbye when emigrating from the country.
Beware: the scenes are so touching that they can bring even the most callous people to tears.
Now we find ourselves in a space where we can hear the stories of emigrants. The multimedia format creates the feeling of a real conversation with a living person. One of the strongest rooms in the museum. A total delight!
Next, famous descendants of Irish blood appear, such as John F. Kennedy (America’s 35th president) and Liam Neeson (star of Schindler’s List and Love Actually). At least 22 US presidents can claim Irish roots, including Barack Obama. Many well-known figures are descendants of Irish immigrants.
Maybe you have Irish roots too? Genealogy experts will help you find out the truth during a special consultation.
Special mention must go to the library. Amidst the wide variety of books, there are brightly shining copies: when you pull them out, you get an auditory reference. Of course, these books were given to the world by authors with Irish roots:
- Irish writer Bram Stoker’s famous gothic novel Dracula
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first of the seven published Chronicles of Narnia, written by Northern Ireland native Clive Staples Lewis
- Margaret Mitchell and her iconic novel Gone With the Wind
- Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
Next come rooms about Irish sport, dance, and social struggles. You can bring sports heroes to life, dance with a virtual partner, and hear stories of equality.
And that’s not all – we don’t want to reveal all the cards, it’s better to see for yourself.
One last word of advice: don’t miss the EPIC souvenir shop. Here you can buy non-banal gifts for yourself and your loved ones. Whether it’s a woollen scarf, lucky earrings, an anti-stress rugby ball, an Oscar Wilde book, or a cool shopper, there’s an Irish gift for everyone!
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is not just an emigration museum, but a living story of people who changed the world. After a visit, you’ll see Ireland in a different light. And if you suddenly think that one country can’t influence the fate of the world, go to EPIC. They’ll change your mind in no time.
» READ MORE – Traveling in Ireland by car: itinerary
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