Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí | |
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  Location within Cork Central | |
| Established | 1910 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mardyke walk,Cork, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 51°53′46″N8°29′39″W / 51.8961°N 8.4943°W /51.8961; -8.4943 |
| Type | City museum |
| Accreditation | Designated county museum (NMI) |
| Owner | Cork City Council |
Cork Public Museum (Irish:Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí)[1] is acity museum inCork, Ireland. Housed in a mid-19th century building withinFitzgerald Park in theMardyke area of the city,[2] the museum's exhibits focus mainly on the history and archaeology of the Cork area.[3][4]
The original museum building is a convertedGeorgian house within Cork's Fitzgerald Park. Built in 1845 by theBeamish brewing family,[5] the house and gardens were purchased byCork Corporation to become part of the 18-hectare (44-acre) site of the1902 Cork International Exhibition.[6][7] During the 1902 exhibition (a type of "world's fair"), the house hosted visiting dignitaries and royalty such asEdward VII andQueen Alexandra.[8][5] Following the exhibition, much of the site and gardens were repurposed as a public park, and in 1910, the house was reopened as a museum.[6] Part-used as a local authority air-raid protection office[6] andshelter,[3] the museum partially closed during"The Emergency" (WWII) and reopened in 1945.[6] It was managed byUniversity College Cork until the 1960s, when museum administration reverted to the city council.[9] A single-storey extension was added ahead of Cork's tenure asEuropean City of Culture 2005, and includes increased exhibition space and a café.[10]
Afforded "designated county museum" status by theNational Museum of Ireland, the museum is legally allowed to retain objects on behalf of the State or on loan from the National Museum.[11][12]
Exhibits focus on the archaeological record of the Cork area, including finds fromexcavations around the city's medieval walls,[13] as well as the economic and municipal history of the city, such ascivic regalia and artefacts covering the merchant history of thePort of Cork.[14][15] Other displays include Bronze Age mining tools from copper mines in West Cork, locally discovered Iron Age helmet horns (theCork horns), and ancient Greek and Egyptian artefacts.[13][16] Temporary exhibits have covered the Irish experience duringWorld War I,[17][18] andIrish Traveller culture.[19]
| International | |
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| National | |
