'Doing Things Differently': A Walk Through The Little Museum of Dublin

Walking up the stone steps to the ivy-covered number 15 on Stephen’s Green, it doesn’t immediately strike you that you're about to enter a tourist spot which is ranked consistently high on Dublin's TripAdvisor.

On entering, you won’t find any wide open spaces to herd tourists into, no bright fluorescent lights nor pervasive overpriced gift shops (Lord, rid me of sheep-shaped fridge magnets!). Instead, you’re met with a small shelf of quirky books and the kind of cosy vibe you only truly achieve with the help of soft carpeting, fireplaces and an abundance of wooden furniture.

While it most definitely hasn't fallen into a conventional tourist trap, foreign visitors and Dubliners alike still flock to this 18th-century Georgian townhouse. Last year alone, a whopping 109,000 people crossed its threshold (roughly the population of Cork!). A big feat for a just 2,700 square foot museum, which is fit to burst with as many as 5,000 different artefacts to ponder over.

As told by curator Simon O’Connor, the secret is in the set up: “When we first started, we had a call out for Dubliners to donate items, but because of that we had no idea what the collection would be since it depended on the public. So, from the start we planned on doing things differently.” By adding more opportunities for visitor and public-interaction, this museum made itself both of, and for, the people.

“The whole idea of a civil society is important to us and that’s what we wanted to showcase”, says O'Connor.

And still to this day, the good people of Dublin are still bringing in all sorts of gems previously hidden in peoples’ homes...

So there should be something available for all manner of tastes: from frames filled with faded yellowing paper documenting the Easter Rising to the cacophony of odds and ends in the U2 exhibition on the top floor - jokingly referred to as Bono’s extra storage room by members of the staff.

Said one volunteer at the Museum: “It feels like when you were a kid searching through your favourite (albeit highly eccentric) aunt’s attic looking for treasures. It’s kind of magic. Mad, but magic!”

All in all, “different” seems to be working out for them. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the tours are both interactive and humorous. Forget about the droning monotony of your old history teacher’s voice, the Little Museum is a place of warm welcomes, wonderfully witty humour and astounding stories.

And if there is one thing they do well, it’s telling stories. From the comedic guides to the enticingly odd artefacts to the old house itself - everything tells a story. A story of hardship, laughter and all the little things that have made up the millions of lives that have been lived within our fair city.

Pop by the museum to experience the guided tour, donate granny’s old knick-knacks or even become a member! Open 7 days a week from 9:30-17:30 (Thursdays until 20:00).