By JULIANE NEUMANN
Special for RELATED ☘️
Stepping into the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin means stepping into stories, real-life stories of emigration. It takes you through a long history of leaving Ireland by guiding you through different rooms with different angles and focus points.
Did you know?
Around 70 million people claim Irish ancestry. That number alone gives you an idea about how much of an impact the Irish emigration history has had on other countries, especially considering the population of Ireland. Millions have left the country over the years—searching for opportunity, a new life in another country, trying to survive.
History all around
The inside of the museum is already impressive—full of history, emotion, and personal journeys. But there is more to the museum – it’s the building itself. EPIC is located in the CHQ Building on Custom House Quay. It was built between 1817 and 1820 to store tobacco, tea, and spirits. The building overlooks the River Liffey – the departure point for so many people fleeing Ireland during the Famine.
With an eye for detail
This museum doesn’t just touch the surface; it looks at the details, too. You already notice it when you start your tour of the museum and you get a passport. You can stamp your museum passport in every room (and people do!). It’s these small things that truly make the museum visit an experience.
The rooms all cover different areas: the Famine, the notorious Irish, food and drink, music, sports, literature, among others. All of these areas show how much of the world has been touched by Irish influences. Seeing it all together in one space really highlights this.
With all these rooms, the museum creates a story. The story of emigration as a whole. It’s more than one reason, more than one success story, more than one struggle. There are so many different reasons why people left, or had to leave, Ireland. The Famine is definitely one of the biggest, but it’s not the only reason.
As an example: One interesting part was also the calls for female emigration. There was a call for single women to emigrate to Australia, and they were given free passage.
The EPIC museum sheds light on all those reasons, which will leave you with a better understanding of the overall emigration history. Moreover, it goes even further, it also looks at the people, their impact, and their livesafter emigration.
Stories that move you
The curators of the museum have done an incredible job in finding and presenting individual stories. You see photographs, read letters, hear stories in videos. These personal accounts are what make EPIC so valuable. You might not remember all the names you see and hear there, but the stories will stay with you. You will remember the suitcase you see—the few belongings they took with them. You will want to know more about what happened to them, cheering for them if everything went well.
Learning more about people’s reasons to leave their homeland will also leave you thinking. Would you have done the same? How would you have coped? Emigration is tied to all kinds of emotions. The museum brings all of that together in their approach to storytelling. As a visitor, you connect to the stories you hear, see, and experience.
Interactive history
The EPIC museum blends history well with activity. The interactive parts of the museum are actually one of the most liked aspects by visitors. They let you truly step into the stories with interactive features: a quiz of who’s done it for the outlaw area, videos of people sharing their stories, different photo ops like in the notorious Irish area where you can hold a convict sign with your name on it. Here, you don’t just read through endless text, you get to touch and be part of the museum. The interactive screens make the information more digestible.
Proud to be Irish
Seeing all those different aspects of Irish culture does transmit this feeling of pride in being Irish. But it’s not just the big names like Maureen O’Hara that give you that feeling. It’s seeing what the Irish have accomplished in sports, literature, science, and in so many other aspects of history, culture, and everyday life.
Genealogy support available
Visitors interested in their own Irish heritage also can make use of the genealogy support from the museum. They offer different options at various price points, but this might just be what could help your own research along if you’re stuck and don’t know where to continue with it.
Final verdict
Should you go? Short answer: Yes! There is a reason why this museum is one of the top attractions in Europe. The EPIC museum gives you a new way of learning about Irish emigration. Did you know that 23 U.S. presidents have Irish ancestors? It’s fun facts like those, mixed with personal emigration accounts, while also looking at the cultural impact of the Irish on the world, that make this museum stand out. It shows you how the Irish diaspora has touched the world.
Everyone will find something fun, interesting, and memorable here. Book lovers will enjoy the library room, athletes will enjoy the sports sections, and so much more. It’s a museum for families, travelers, people with Irish heritage and those without.
Plan a few hours if you want to really see everything. It might be too much input otherwise, if you don’t have the time and have to rush through. Just don’t forget to stamp your passport, and remember:
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