Heritage attractions in Ireland. Nominate your best (or worst)

whisky_galore

Little Museum of Dublin. Quite impressed by this, packs a lot into a small space. Only niggle was that the guided tour seemed rushed. No time to browse main rooms.
Lots of items uncaptioned, fine for natives of a certain vintage but overseas visitors may not grasp the context.

Joint awful place. Cork and Limerick public museums.
Cork, remote from city centre. Dull, poorly presented and badly illuminated displays not even scratching the surface of the long history of the city. Half finished and unfinished display areas.
Limerick. Opening hours designed to suit the curators. Open Mon - Fri. Closed weekends. Seriously?
Nicely presented but sparse exhibits, considering the size of the building they're in.

Del.Monte

The Corlea Trackway is without doubt the worst heritage (?) attraction that I ever had the misfortune to visit. Another legacy of Charlie Haughey. Essentially it consists of a few dozen rotten pieces of timber found in the nearby bog and housed in an expensive, architect designed, interpretative centre.

Despite being FREE to visit, it only managed to attract an incredible 7,750 visitors in 2018 https://www.shannonside.ie/news/local/longford/increase-visitor-numbers-corlea-trackway-visitor-centre/




For any masochist wishing to know more - I have the book (above) about the centre for sale here: https://www.adverts.ie/non-fiction/10-years-on-the-ring-dong-road/18635974

byhookorbycrook

The Chester Beatty Library would be high on my "good list" as would the Museum of Country Life.
Worst: The Michael Cusack Centre http://michaelcusack.ie/the-burren-tours

Vetch

Best: Skellig Michael; Chester Beatty
Worst: Guinness Storehouse (haven't been there in years but remember it as expensive and loud); Nano Nagle Place in Cork (nice setting but there is scant detail in the exhibition)

pinkypinky

I like the Little Museum but agree with the comments about it being rushed. Also they perpetuate that myth that DeV was not executed because he was born in America.

Also agree Guinness Storehouse is massively over-rated. I went once, on a free ticket, about a year after it opened, and have tried to discourage any tourists I know from going there since. What even is the point of it? Massive empty spaces with some writing on the wall. Giant display of hops.

I love Newbridge House in Donabate. The house tour is fascinating and has been updated over the years. The farm is great for kids. Lovely grounds which are free to enjoy.

smelly sock

Best Newgrange or the ceide fields just for the scenary alone.

Worst: Corlea is a disgrace.

Del.Monte

In terms of the best, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum at Cultra, Co.Down https://www.nmni.com - both Folk and Transport galleries - are so far ahead of anything similar this side of the border that it's embarrassing. In the same county, the Downpatrick & County Down Railway https://www.downrail.co.uk/ is a shining example of just how good a volunteer run project can be.

whisky_galore

pinkypinky wrote: »

Also agree Guinness Storehouse is massively over-rated. I went once, on a free ticket, about a year after it opened, and have tried to discourage any tourists I know from going there since. What even is the point of it? Massive empty spaces with some writing on the wall. Giant display of hops.
.

It's a massive walk through advertisement for Guinness that you have to pay to view. I have no idea why people would want to see this. Usually in any brewery tour I've been on, including the once a year free tour that Heineken host at the Murphy's Brewery, you at least get to see the factory floor.

Meeoow

whisky_galore wrote: »

It's a massive walk through advertisement for Guinness that you have to pay to view. I have no idea why people would want to see this. Usually in any brewery tour I've been on, including the once a year free tour that Heineken host at the Murphy's Brewery, you at least get to see the factory floor.

Ha ha. Agree. I thought it was a factory tour, but it was a museum of all their rubbish they were too tight to dump.

whisky_galore

Del.Monte wrote: »

In terms of the best, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum at Cultra, Co.Down https://www.nmni.com - both Folk and Transport galleries - are so far ahead of anything similar this side of the border that it's embarrassing. In the same county, the Downpatrick & County Down Railway https://www.downrail.co.uk/ is a shining example of just how good a volunteer run project can be.

Ireland is very poor on industrial and transport heritage in general, almost as if it's been been airbrushed out.