New Dead Zoo Lab opens at National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks

With the Natural History Museum on Merrion Street now closed for much needed conservation and refurbishment works, a new Dead Zoo Lab has opened at the National Museum, Collins Barracks today for the duration of its closure.

The Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks has been created to ensure the public continues to have an opportunity to see some of the most popular specimens from the natural history collection, as well as some specimens that haven’t been on display for many years.

The nature of the display of the natural history collection at the Natural History Museum on Merrion Street has been largely unchanged since Victorian times, and the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks will be used by the National Museum to experiment with and test new methods of engaging the public in conversation with the collection, while the conservation and refurbishment work of the Merrion Street site is taking place.

The Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks has been designed to allow changes and evolution to the objects on display, supporting access to a wider range of the natural history collection over time.

At any one time approximately 1,300 objects will be on public display spanning entomology, geology, mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and a wide variety of marine life.

The National Museum of Ireland has the world’s largest collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Marine Life.

These beautiful, delicate glass models were created in the 19^th century by world renowned glass artisan father and son team Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka using intricate techniques.

The Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks will also display a selection of these treasures, some of which have not been on display for generations.

Speaking yesterday, Director of Collections and Access at the National Museum of Ireland Dr Éimear O’Connor said; “The Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks has been designed to promote and encourage collaboration with communities, artists and scientists, all of which will inform the interpretation of the natural history collections for the redisplay of the Museum on Merion Street when it reopens following the refurbishment and conservation works.

“We are delighted to welcome groups from the local community surrounding Collins Barracks today for a special preview of the new space ahead of the official opening tomorrow.”

Natural History Keeper Paolo Viscardi said; “We are so excited to present the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks.

“The space is smaller than Merrion Street but lots of firm favourites will be on display like Spoticus the Giraffe, the infamous eel choking on a frog, and Giant Irish Deer, as well as many items returning to display after many years in storage, such as the dodo skeleton and hundreds of examples of animal species from around the world, which have not been accessible the public for almost two decades while the balcony galleries of Merrion Street were closed.”

The National Museum of Ireland is open seven days a week and admission is free. For more information see www.museum.ie