Drop into Collins Barracks this Culture Night for an evening of tours, trails, drop-ins and tactile sessions. 

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Drop-in Chat - Echoes in the Courtyard: 140 years in one of Ireland’s earliest social homes 

Drop-in from 16:00 - 16:45 

This Culture Night, 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 a free, drop-in opportunity to talk to the exhibition curators, who will be in the space from 16:00 - 16:45. Children must be fully supervised by a parent or adult who is in loco parentis. 

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Hands-on History - A Changing Ireland: People, Protest and Progress 

17:30 - 19:00 

This Culture Night, the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks invites visitors to take part in an engaging, hands-on session. In this session, we will explore the social movements that Changed Ireland. From Women’s Suffrage to Trans Solidarity movements, we will explore Ireland’s evolution over 100 years of history.  

This drop-in handling session will take place in the Museum Reception area from 17:30 - 19:00. No booking is required, come and go as you please! Handling sessions can be expected to take from 5-15 minutes. Children must be fully supervised by a parent or adult who is in loco parentis. 

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LGBTQIA+ Tour of Collins Barracks 

17:30 - 18:30 
19:00 - 20:00 

Come along on Culture Night for a rich and informative historical tour of the National Museum of Ireland – Collins Barracks exploring LGBTQIA+ history in the Museum’s collections. This tour views the Museum’s exhibitions through alternative lenses, bringing some hidden histories and perspectives to the fore. Focusing on objects and individuals from the 17th to the 21st century, the tour reveals a wide variety of identities, genders and sexualities along the way. 

Places are limited to 20 people 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. 

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Museum Trails 

You can grab any of our trails and activity sheets from Museum Reception throughout Culture Night to explore the Museum at your own pace. Explore topics such Irish Design, LGBTQIA+ history, Irish Heritage and many more through our free booklets, suitable for all ages. 

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For more information about the items listed above, contact bookings@museum.ie or call 01 648 6453. You can find the full programme of events taking place across the country as part of Culture Night at the following link: Culture Night Programme 2026