Cork Public Museum to receive major facelift on 80th birthday

Cork Public Museum in 1902

Cork Public Museum is to receive a major facelift in celebration of its 80th birthday.

The museum, which attracts around 60,000 visitors to Fitzgerald's Park, is the oldest local authority museum in the country. 

It opened its doors Leeside mere weeks before the end of World War Two on April 1945 and received a state-of-the-art single-storey extension in 2005.

The museum is now set to undergo another major refurbishment that will transform the building's aesthetic.

The roof and external render of the structure will be completely removed and refurbished.

The facelift is due to be carried out throughout spring and summer of this year and is expected to be finished by the autumn. 

The project will be funded by Cork City Council, with additional funding to be provided by the Department of Housing.

The opening of Cork Public Museum in 1945

Commenting on the planned refurbishment of the museum, Curator Dan Breen said: “These works will have a positive impact on the future development of the museum, ensuring the exterior envelope of the building is secured. 

"We have big plans for the future of Cork Public Museum, but none of these would be possible without this important structural work”.

The museum has amassed a collection of around 60,000 objects covering around seven thousand years of human habitation in Cork.

Since 2016, the museum has improved its collection management systems, online engagement and public profile.