All new show-stopper galleries now open to the public.
Here at EPIC we have recently completed a €2 million investment upgrade to our visitor experience. This is the most significant transformation since the museum opened, showcasing our commitment to being a world‑class cultural attraction and a global leader in storytelling. The new galleries, which are now open to the public, expand the exhibition footprint by 2,000 square feet. Visitors will now experience more immersive multi-sensory storytelling, improved accessibility, and enhanced multilingual engagement.
Full press release available here.
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New ‘Isle of the Senses’ Sensory experience
The upgrade includes a new ‘Isle of the Senses’ sensory experience, evoking the Ireland emigrants carried with them when they left the island. Visitors are immersed in the sights, sounds, and scents of the landscapes left behind – from the green hills of Kerry and the Giant’s Causeway to Wicklow’s waterfalls and the Cliffs of Moher. For members of the Irish diaspora on their first visit to Ireland, these galleries give them a real sense of the true nature of Ireland, whether they’re heading to these landmarks or not.
New 28 square meter interactive LED floor
There is also a newly installed interactive LED floor; the largest of its kind in any Irish museum. Spanning 28 square metres, it brings the movement of emigration vividly to life, from monks setting out in currachs to steamships, ocean liners and airplanes.
Where’s Ireland’s journey began
The overall museum footprint has been extended and opens the vaulted galleries up to natural light. The galleries are now visible from the street for the first time and create a striking image for passersby along Dublin’s Docklands. This is particularly meaningful given the museum’s location; the Docklands is the very place from which countless emigrants began their journey from Ireland. The museum has played a vital role in revitalising this district as a cultural destination and restoring its identity as the symbolic point of departure for generations of Irish people.
“EPIC has always been a world class-cultural attraction,” says Aileesh Carew, CEO EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. “This upgrade raises the bar for visitor experiences all over the world. We believe that understanding Irish emigration is the key to understanding the Irish people. These new galleries make the visitor experience even more immersive and deepen the emotional connection to Ireland through the stories of our emigrants.”
New museum app enhances accessibility and inclusivity
Alongside the gallery upgrades, EPIC has launched a new museum app that enhances accessibility and inclusivity through multiple languages, expanded storytelling and accessibility features such as transcripts and audio. The app introduces new specialist tours, including a children’s tours and more planned for phase 2 of the app.
EPIC has always had storytelling at its core – the museum tells the story of the millions that have emigrated, for better or worse. Now, 10 years on, it’s time for a new kind of storytelling, one that reaches new heights, where cutting-edge technology meets the most human part of us: our senses.
BOOK TICKETSAll images via ©Rich Davenport
