Hunt Museum

Location

Limerick

History

One of Ireland 's premier museums and one of the finest private collections of art and antiquities in the world, the Hunt Museum is the pride of Limerick with objects from Celtic works, to works of masters like da Vinci, Renoir and Yeats and fabulous artefacts from the ancient world.

Housed in the Palladian splendour of Limerick Custom House on the banks of the River Shannon , the Hunt Collection is internationally renowned with items regularly loaned to the British and V&A Museums in London. Donated to the people of Ireland this personal collection of some 2000 original art works and antiquities was formed by John and Gertrude Hunt, esteemed collectors and advisers to Sotheby's, William Randolph Hearst and the Aga Khan.

The collection includes artefacts from the Stone Age to the 20th Century and is renowned for its religious art, as well as a wealth of material from ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome and artefacts from Celtic Ireland. Among the most prominent pieces in the collection are the personal seal of king Charles I of England, a bronze horse by Leonardo da Vinci, paintings from Picasso, Renoir and Yeats and most fascinating of all a silver Syracusan coin, dating back to the time of Christ, which is revered as being one of the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot.

The Hunt Museum is a real national treasure, awarded Ireland's Museum of the Year for 2004; it is certainly worth a detour to the great city of Limerick.

Details

Opening Times

Visit Length

2hrs

Admission

Information

Leaflets: Yes Guided Tours: Yes Audio Visual: Yes Exhibition: Yes

Facilities

Restaurant: Yes Car Park: Yes Coach Park: Yes Disabled Access: Yes