My Life with Paul Mangan: I bought a hyena on the internet

Paul Mangan is the curator at the Museum of Curiosities. The Dublin museum home to a collection of odds-and-ends from all corners of the globe

Paul Mangan with a Hyena Taxidermi at the Museum of Curiosities on Pembroke Street, Dublin. Pictures: Gareth Chaney

Some might wonder what compelled me to add a hyena to my menagerie of taxidermised animals at the Museum of Curiosities in Dublin.

However, it is historically significant for a number of reasons. After learning that hyenas once roamed Ireland — specifically in Castlepook Cave near Doneraile, north Cork — I knew I had to have one for our new room in the museum.

While this particular exhibit hails from a little further afield, it sparks some interesting conversations about the African creature’s links to Ireland.

Spotted hyenas wandered these parts during the last Ice Age. It was around 45,000 years ago that they made their way here via land bridges connecting Ireland to Britain. These resulted from considerably lower global sea levels that led to the formation of such passages.

Excavations in recent years uncovered skulls, teeth, and jaws, all of which belonged to spotted hyenas.

The hyena is one of the larger exhibits we have acquired since opening the museum last year. It joins some other quirky animals, including conjoined twin lambs and a two-headed cow.

This hyena comes from Africa, but I bought him from a French company. I think some people have this misconception that I source these from a secret, clandestine taxidermy dealership. The truth is that they are publicly available, and anyone can buy one if they wish.

My interest in taxidermised animals goes back a long way. The National Museum of Ireland was a huge influence on me from day one. I can remember visiting the dead zoo there about 10 years ago, which was when I learned about hyenas in Ireland. Obviously, Ireland was very different 40,000 years ago, but when I first read that, I couldn’t believe it. I immediately wanted to dig deeper to find out more. Prehistoric animals have always been a source of fascination for me. The ice age interests me for various reasons. It’s unbelievable to think that hyenas once lived in Ireland, yet there are so few people who seem to realise this.

Paul Mangan with a Lion taxidermy at the Museum of Curiosities on Pembroke Street, Dublin.

Seeing animals like the ones in the Museum of Curiosities takes you to another world. As much as we have some lovely animals here in Ireland, the fauna wouldn’t be as varied as it is in other countries.

Other exhibits at the museums are equally quirky, if a little more frightening. We generally tell people that this place is not suitable for children under 12, even though kids have attended who are younger than this. It is basically left up to the parents. A lot of kids are interested in the gothic side of things.

Truth be told its usually the adults who are more disturbed. What seems to freak people out most in the new room is the clowns. They said as much as 50% of people apparently suffer from clown phobia to some degree. We have over 200 porcelain clowns from plush ones to the automated kind. Some pieces belonged to a renowned 20th-century clown named Arthur Van Norman. We have some of his props like wigs and a pantomime horse.

Much of what you see here is not for the faint-hearted. However, we have been open for more than a year now, and only two people have walked out.

Some of our pieces include a chest from the 1820s containing items relating to witchcraft. I got this from a guy in the UK who happened to be interested in the history of witchcraft. The box is a really old chest that is quite creepy looking. It has a combination of things in it, including a wax doll, a bible, some old keys, bones, and all sorts. These were the kind of objects that would have been used to ward off illnesses or bad spirits as opposed to being used for evil.

There are also some funny stories behind the donations we receive. One piece that springs to mind is a picture of Vlad the Impaler, a 15th century prince of Romania known for his horrifying cruelty. He often tortured enemies by impaling them on stakes and was the historical inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The hilarious thing is that this was donated to us by the granddaughter of a woman who had mistaken the image for a picture of Jesus. This painting had taken pride of place on her wall for years, but she was none the wiser.

Paul Mangan from at the Museum of Curiosities in Pembrooke Street Lower Dublin.

The people who visit the museum come from all walks of life. Jenna Ortega dropped in while filming the Netflix series Wednesday not so long ago. We got the impression she didn’t want to be bothered, but it was undoubtedly her.

As much as she enjoyed the place, it didn’t feel right to stop her for selfies. Our staff here are quite shy, and I think most of us wanted to keep the memory of her coming in for ourselves without plastering it all over social media.

We also have celebrities, who are that bit closer to home. Former RTÉ newsreader Anne Doyle has been in to us twice and is very much a fan of all things paranormal. With that said, we have never reached out to celebrities or influencers. It’s a place where everybody is welcome to satisfy their curiosity.