One of the big new attractions in Dublin is an interactive exhibit called Epic: The Irish Emigration Museum. I had never really appreciated the Irish diaspora until my visit here. With all the anxiety surrounding immigration in the USA today, it’s thought-provoking to learn how many people were just as wigged out about Irish immigrants 160 years ago.
In this little clip, I share how connecting with history in my travels helps give me perspective on current events at home. I’d love to hear about similar connections that you’ve made on the road.
Here’s a sneak peek at the museum’s listing in the upcoming 2018 edition of Rick Steves Ireland:
Epic: The Irish Emigration Museum tells the story of the Irish diaspora and celebrates how this little island has had an oversized impact on the world. While it has no actual artifacts, the museum is an entertaining and educational experience, filling the wine vaults in the basement of the CHQ Building (an iron-framed warehouse from 1820s where the customs house stood on the River Liffey). It uses an interactive, high-tech approach to explain the forces that propelled so many Irish around the globe. Twenty galleries immerse visitors in the emigration experience. Illustrious Irish immigrants featured include labor agitator Mother Jones, Caribbean pirate Anne Bonny, Australian bush bandit Ned Kelly, and musical Chicago Police Chief O’Neil. Historic photos of filthy tenements and early films of bustling urban scenes round out the plight of the common Irish emigrant. And all along, you celebrate the Irish heritage in music, literature, sports, and more (daily 10:00-18:45, last entry 17:00, one-hour tours at 11:00 & 14:00, at the modern pedestrian bridge, a few steps from the famine statues along the riverfront on Custom House Quay, tel. 01/906-0861, www.epicchq.com).
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This is Day 65 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.