The Irish Museum of Modern Art, in collaboration with Dúchas – the Heritage Service, presents for its third year an exciting Heritage Season at the magnificent 17th-century Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Dúchas is offering guided heritage tours during the summer months from 28 May until 21 September 2003, which allows visitors to discover and explore the building and grounds of the Royal Hospital. They include the stunning Baroque Chapel, with reconstructed papier maché ceiling, the impressive Great Hall, where its public collection of 17th and 18th –century portraits still remain in their original location, the beautiful 17th-century formal gardens and Bully’s Acre one of Dublin’s oldest cemeteries. The heritage programme also includes a video and permanent exhibition, which are available to view all year round.
The permanent exhibition brings together many fascinating and intriguing artifacts and documents relating to the original grounds and building of the Royal Hospital. These include the Blackjack, a jug capable of holding 5 gallons of ale – on account of its weight the phrase ‘more power to your elbow’ was coined. Also on view are the uniforms of the retired soldiers, such as the scarlet summer full-dress and the dark blue winter greatcoat. The typical daily life of a retired solider living in the hospital can be explored in the minutes from the meetings of the Board of the Hospital, which include such items as the order made on 16 December 1700 “That it be an established rule, that if any soldier of the Hospital shall presume to marry, he be immediately turned out of the house, and the Hospital clothes taken from him.” The Heritage video is 13 minutes long and provides an overview of the history of the original building and grounds, from the sites earliest settlers – the monks of St. Maignend’s Christian monastery established in 606AD – to the building of the Royal Hospital in 1684 and finally the opening of the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 1991.
The Irish Museum of Modern Art is Ireland’s leading national museum for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. The Museum presents a wide variety of art and artists’ ideas in a dynamic programme of exhibitions and other activities. This regularly includes exhibitions of work from the Museum’s own Collection, projects by its award-winning Education and Community Department and Studio and National Programmes. Dúchas, the Heritage Service cares for many of Ireland’s national monuments, parks, gardens and nature reserves. Dúchas will be running the heritage season at the Royal Hospital until 21 September, which includes National Heritage week. The permanent heritage exhibition, video and guided tours are offered between 12noon and 5.30pm.
Price for Guided tour:
Adult €3.50
Concession €2.00
Family €6.00
Opening Hours:
Tue – Sat 12noon – 5.30pm
Sun & Bank Hols 12noon – 5.30pm
Monday Closed
For further information and colour images please contact Monica Cullinane at
Tel: +353-1-612 9900, Fax: +353-1-612 9999, Email: [email protected]
22 May 2003