Explore 1500 years of history with Ireland’s Extraordinary Emigrants
For thousands of years, the Irish population have been leaving the shores of Ireland, in the hopes they might find a better life abroad. In EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, we explore the lives of these emigrants, looking at why they left, and what they achieved in the wider world after their departure.
Exploring a range of figures and stories, we look at themes of famine and loss, investigating the stories of Thomas Quinn, who travelled the long road from Strokestown, Roscommon to the Dublin Docklands, before setting sail to Canada on board a notorious coffin ship, to Ellen Mahony, who emigrated to North America on board the famous Jeanie Johnston. We also explore emigrant stories of fame and success, looking at figures like Bram Stoker, the novelist who wrote the popular horror novel Dracula.
Discover all of these fascinating stories and more through a range of interactive activities, all tied to the SESE, The Arts and History curricula.
TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
Guided Tour English
On your guided tour your students will explore twenty interactive galleries that reveal how the small nation of Ireland has had a huge impact on the world. Founded on the belief that emigration is one of the most interesting ways to understand a country, within interactive and visually stimulating surroundings discover the dramatic and inspiring stories of how Irish people have influenced music, film, literature, sport, politics, fashion, exploration and science. Each guide can take up to 25 people per tour.
Emigrants Suitcase Workshop
This Irish History-themed Emigrants Suitcase workshop explores how objects tell people’s stories. Students will take part in skills-building tasks that span a range of curricula including English, History, Drama, Art, and Geography. Discover and explore the many stories of loss, famine and fame, looking at figures like Thomas Quinn, Ellen Mahony, who crossed the Atlantic and headed for North America during the famine, to famous novelist Bram Stoker, through a range of interactive activities and discussion.
CLASSROOM PACKS
Easter Rising Pack
Along with the traditional celebrations that take place in Ireland around Easter time, it is also a very important time to remember Irish history. This is because on Easter Monday in 1916, an event happened in Ireland known today as the ‘Easter Rising’.
The Famine Classroom Pack
Battered by the Atlantic Ocean, the land was extremely poor, wet and hard to farm. Therefore, these poor Irish tenants became reliant on a crop that grew well in damp and poor soil, and provided good sustenance: the potato.
STORIES FROM THE MUSEUM
Browse through our online collection and follow the fascinating stories from Irish history.
The story of James Hoban: The Irishman who built the White House
James Hoban was born around 1760 near Callan, Co. Kilkenny. Although the details of his early life aren’t completely clear, we know he was born to Martha and Edward Hoban and had at least three siblings – Joseph, Philip and Ann.
Paying it forward: The Irish-Navajo gift exchange one year on
A surprising source of support. This story dates back to the height of the Great Famine in 1847. When members of the Choctaw Nation heard what was happening in Ireland, they sent $170 across the Atlantic to help those who were starving.
The Tipperary man who fell in love while fighting in the Spanish Civil War
In late 1937 Langston Hughes, who was a poet, journalist and leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, discovered a remarkable love story in a country at war about Irish soldier John O’Reilly, who married African American nurse Salaria Kea.
William McCrum: The Irish inventor of the penalty kick
William McCrum from Armagh was heir to a fortune but, thanks to the Wall Street Crash, he died a poor man. Today his legacy lives on because of a suggestion he made to the Irish Football Association way back in 1890.
Sporting History – The Irish Whales: The First Olympic Superstars
The Whales were all members of the Irish American Athletic Club (IAAC). They dominated throwing events at the Amateur Athletic Union national championships and at the Olympics between 1896 and 1924.
The story of how the gramophone came to influence Irish music
In the 1880s, Edison and his rivals were racing to perfect their latest inventions. They were working on a device to record business correspondence, a device they thought would become as popular as the typewriter.
EPIC EVENTS FROM IRISH HISTORY
The Flight of the Earls
In 1607, Hugh O’Neill and Rory O’Donnell left Ireland for mainland Europe under threat of arrest by crown forces.
Pirate Queen of the Caribbean
Anne Bonny was a strong Cork woman who became a feared Pirate in the Caribbean.
INSPIRING STORIES
Cynthia Longfield
The international dragonfly expert and intrepid explorer also known as ‘Madame Dragonfly’.
Annie Besant
Trade unionist, socialist, Indian nationalist leader and one of the first women to endorse birth control.
Fanny Durack
Irish-Australian record-breaking swimmer who won the first women’s Olympic swimming medal.
Dr. Isabel Mitchell
The Ulster missionary doctor who devoted her career to saving the lives of countless Machurian women.
Eileen Gray
Irish architect and designer from Co. Wexford who would later become a pioneer of modern design.
Eva Gore Booth
The sister of Constance Markievicz who became an icon of suffrage, nationalism and LGBTQ+ defiance.
