Rory Gallagher’s guitar among Donegal items in new national museum collection

Rory Gallagher’s guitar is among a collection of objects from Donegal featuring at a new gallery.

The Changing Ireland Galleries was officially launched at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, marking the biggest expansion of public galleries at the National Museum of Ireland in over two decades.

A Fender Stratocaster guitar owned by renowned Ballyshannon musician Rory Gallagher (1948-1995), produced in 1961 and personally modified during the 1970s and 1980s features in the collection. It symbolises Ireland’s contribution to global rock music.

Other objects from Donegal include a finely tailored hand-woven tweed suit made by Round Tower, a Gaeltarra Éireann brand in the 1960s and an elegant brooch of Wicklow gold set with a pearl from Lough Eske, Donegal, representing the intersection of natural beauty and artistry unique to the region.

Donegal hand-woven tweed suit made by Round Tower, a Gaeltarra Éireann brand 1960s

With capital funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport’s Decade of Centenaries Programme, and working in partnership with the Office of Public Works, the new galleries open following a full refurbishment of a part of Collins Barracks that had been untouched since the departure of the Defence Forces almost 30 years ago.

The Changing Ireland Galleries feature hundreds of political, social and cultural objects from the Museum’s 20th and 21st century collections - extraordinary and everyday artefacts that have borne witness to the last 150 years. On entering the galleries, visitors are invited to reflect on the objects and consider the question “Cad Is Ann Éire Dar Leat?” - “What Is Ireland to You?”

In keeping with the Museum’s desire to develop dynamic and engaging exhibits, the new galleries have been meticulously designed to accommodate regular changes in the display, giving the public unprecedented access to the collection and supporting the long-term conservation of the objects.

Chair of the National Museum of Ireland Board, Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, said: “This is a momentous day for the National Museum, and we would like to express our gratitude to Government for the funding to expand the galleries in this way. There are millions of objects in the Museum’s collection, and our physical infrastructure only allows us to have a fraction of that on display at any one time. The expansion of our galleries and the nature of this new display will ensure that the Museum can share more of Ireland’s history with visitors in years to come.”

Queen’s Brooch designed by Edmond Johnson for West & Son, Dublin 1849 -Made of Wicklow gold and set with a pearl from Lough Eske in Donegal

Director of the National Museum of Ireland, Lynn Scarff, said: “The opening of the Changing Ireland Galleries marks a transformational moment for the National Museum. Reflecting the new direction set out in our Strategic Plan, it is object-focused, non-linear, and exploratory, and aims to be a place of sanctuary and surprise without predetermined narratives. By including many voices in the Gallery spaces, we have been able to create a space that will change and evolve and more accurately reflect the dynamic nature of our contemporary history and its intergenerational impact right up to the present day. The galleries invite visitors to connect with history on their own terms and to question what Ireland means to them today.”

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Lead Curator of the Changing Ireland Galleries, Brenda Malone, said: “The galleries have been designed to allow for the regular rotation of objects, which helps us to preserve these important artefacts for future generations while ensuring the galleries remain dynamic and continually offer fresh perspectives on modern Ireland’s history. The galleries also embrace sensory experiences, using music, visuals, and immersive audiovisual installations to add context, mood, and texture to the display.”

The Changing Ireland Galleries at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks is now open. Admission is free.