Irish Agricultural Museum and Famine Exhibition, Province of Leinster, Ireland

4WirralChesterdraws 5:00 PM Aug 21, 2019

Interesting museum with a new entrance and visitor centre.
It is sometimes difficult to make farm machinery sound interesting. This museum has clearly been put together by knowledgeable enthusiasts, and the newly opened facilities show that an effort is being made to attract a wider range of visitors. That said, I came mainly to see the Famine Exhibition and was not disappointed. This covers a searing period of Irish history, but the way the subject is addressed is well balanced and informative. The selection of items from the archives is good and the interpretive material was well written and presented. It even explained the different varieties of potatoes! The exhibition is housed in a recently refurbished outbuilding near the main permanent exhibition. Personally I prefer not to be exposed to a continuous soundtrack while perusing the exhibits, and would have liked to be able to select it rather than having no choice in the matter. But at least it shows that the curators have made an effort to create an atmosphere, which is difficult given the context. Outside the special exhibition, I found the main museum highly engaging. The large estate map of the Johnstown Demesne was a work of art, with smaller maps alongside it. There is a good selection of horse-drawn vehicles and tack on display, with due emphasis to the everyday working vehicles used in rural Ireland rather than the focus on posh people's carriages that one tends to encounter in more general historical museums. Overall I found it much better than expected, perhaps because there are some truly dire agricultural museums around; this was certainly not one of those.

5Misterpetrolhead 5:00 PM Jul 24, 2014

Not to be missed
Do not rush through Co. Wexford in south-east Ireland and miss the delightful experience of a visit to this museum in the grounds of Johnstone Castle. This is now the home of the Irish Agricultural Museum and houses a unique collection of classic farm machinery and transport, as well as telling the extremely moving story of the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840's when thousands perished or emigrated to USA and the colonies. The life of the owners of the castle is also portrayed as well as themed rooms showing different periods of Irish history. The recently re-vamped tea-room is an excellent place for a snack or light meal and the museum has various themed events throughout the year. The visit can be rounded off by a stroll around the extensive gardens and lake.