Dublin Festival of History at Collins Barracks

Dublin Festival of History is an annual event that provides free talks, tours, workshops and more to share and celebrate fascinating histories all around Dublin.

You can engage with fascinating tours of the National Museum - Collins Barracks on a range of topics on the dates and times below. Guided Tours are drop-in, and no pre-booking is required.

Don't miss our Curator Talk in Echoes in the Courtyard: 140 years in one of Ireland’s earliest social homes - prebooking for this event is required.

Guided Tours

Tours will begin in Reception at Collins Barracks. Booking is not required. However, places are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Children must be fully supervised by a parent or adult who is in loco parentis.

Far From Home: Migration in 20th Century Ireland

How has the meaning of ‘being Irish’ evolved over the past 100 years? Find out more on this interactive tour through the new Changing Ireland galleries.

Saturday 26th September

14:00 Far From Home: Migration in 20th Century Ireland

15:30 Far From Home: Migration in 20th Century Ireland

From Revolution to Repeal: An Introduction to Changing Ireland

Explore key moments in Ireland’s political and social history, from early 20th-century rebellion and partition to the emergence of a more open society in the 21st century.

Sunday 27th September
14:00 From Revolution to Repeal: An Introduction to Changing Ireland
15:30 From Revolution to Repeal: An Introduction to Changing Ireland - Irish Sign Language Interpreted

For more information about Irish Sign Language Interpreted tours of Collins Barracks, please see here.

LGBTQIA+ Tours of Collins Barracks

This tour views the exhibitions at the National Museum through alternative lenses, bringing some hidden histories and perspectives to the fore, and reveals a wide variety of identities, genders and sexualities along the way. Spanning the establishment of the Barracks itself to Ireland’s passing of the Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015, highlights include the non-conformist chair by world renowned designer and architect Eileen Gray and artefacts belonging to some of the women of Ireland’s revolutionary period.

Saturday 3rd October

14:00 LGBTQIA+ Tour of Collins Barracks

15:30 LGBTQIA+ Tour of Collins Barracks

Sunday 11th October

14:00 LGBTQIA+ Tour of Collins Barracks

15:30 LGBTQIA+ Tour of Collins Barracks

From Barracks to Museum: An Introduction to Collins Barracks

This tour focuses on the story of Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) and the lives of soldiers who lived here between 1706 until 1993. Learn about their daily activities, living conditions, drilling and marching practices and experiences going to war. This tour also explores the story of Collins Barracks becoming a Museum, and will introduce some of the most fascinating artefacts in the Museum's collection.

Sunday 4th October

14:00 From Barracks to Museum: An Introduction to Collins Barracks

15:30 From Barracks to Museum: An Introduction to Collins Barracks

Sliotars, Sashes and Symbols: Shaping Irish Identity

Who are we? Explore how Irish identity has developed since 1900 - through language, culture, sport, and religion, and how it continues to evolve today.

Saturday 10th October
14:00 Sliotars, Sashes and Symbols: Shaping Irish Identity
15:30 Sliotars, Sashes and Symbols: Shaping Irish Identity

Pre-Booked Talk - Echoes in the Courtyard: 140 years in one of Ireland’s earliest social homes

In celebration of Dublin Festival of History, Tuath Housing is partnering with the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks to create an exhibition exploring the history of Ellis Court, launching to coincide with the Dublin Festival of History. Through photographs, archival records, oral histories and personal stories, the exhibition will bring to life the experiences of the generations of individuals and families who called Ellis Court home from the 1880s onwards.

The project aims to preserve and share an important chapter in Dublin’s social history, while highlighting the enduring importance of safe, secure housing in shaping communities. It will also celebrate the people of Ellis Court, past and present, ensuring their voices and experiences remain part of the historical record.

This is an opportunity to hear from the exhibition curators, who will deliver a 45 minute talk on each of the following dates. Children must be fully supervised by a parent or adult who is in loco parentis.

Saturday 3rd October
13:00 - 13:45

Saturday 10th October
13:00 - 13:45

Booking is required and available at the following link: Echoes Through the Hallway: The Story of Ellis Court Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite

For more information about the tours listed above, contact [email protected] or call 01 648 6453. You can find the full programme of events taking place across Dublin as part of Dublin Festival of History at the following link: Dublin Festival of History