National Maritime Museum
of Ireland
Open Daily 11:00am to 5:00pm
Ireland’s National Maritime Museum is housed in Dun Laoghaire’s 180-year-old Mariner's Church, directly opposite the new DLR Lexicon library and easily accessible by DART suburban train and several bus services.
The museum’s greatest artefact is probably the building itself, as it is one of a few custom-built places of worship for seafarers remaining intact in the world today.
Introduction
Welcome To the National Maritime Museum of Ireland
Walking
Only a five-minute walk from the Dun Laoghaire Dart Station
Dart
Get the DART to Dun Laoghaire, they run every 15 minutes peak
Bus
Dun Laoghaire is serviced by a variety of bus routes
Book Ticket
Online Booking - Entrance
Tickets
You can buy your entrance tickets here, and they will be emailed to you. Tickets will be delivered as email and a PDF. It’s important that you keep these.
When you receive the email, please either print out your ticket and make sure you bring it with you, or you can keep the PDF on your phone so that we can scan the QR Code on the ticket when you arrive.
Important: While the ticketing system requires you to choose a specific date, your ticket will be valid for seven days after that date for one visit.
Culture Night 2023
Unfortunately, we have no spaces left for the Culture Night Tours. Many thanks to those who have booked, and we look forward to welcoming you on the 22nd.
News & Events
Find out the latest news
Plan Your Visit
Get Visitor Information
The museum can be easily accessed by public transport. It is less than 5 minutes’ walk from Dun Laoghaire DART station or any of the buses serving Dun Laoghaire (7, 7a, 8, 45a, 46a, 59, 75, and 111). You can use an online travel planner to find the best route for you.
Walking: You can access the museum either off George's Street Upper (People’s Park end) or if you are on the sea front you can now access the Museum from the pier side via the steps at the side of the new municipal library (East Pier Side). For the tech-savvy, our GPS location is 53.2928639,-6.1315167.
Facilities: Our museum shop carries a nice selection of maritime related gifts, postcards and much more. We have wheelchair access (except for the gallery)
Exhibits
Exhibits
The Prisoners’ Dock
It will give you a first-hand impression of the Museum as it used to be, a church of worship, a Mariners Church
The Baily Optic
Come and view the actual optic as depicted by James Joyce in ‘Ulysses’ (and weighing in at almost 10 tonnes!)
Radio Room
We have created a radio room complete with vintage Marconi radio stations. Come in and send a message in Morse Code
School Tours
Workshops and
hands-on activities
- Maritime History
- Maritime technology
- Irish geography
- Town development as exemplified by Dun Laoghaire
- The Irish Navy
- Halpin and the laying of the transatlantic cable
Our educational mission is to use the evidence from Ireland’s maritime heritage to excite the imagination and encourage appreciation, understanding and enjoyment by people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Tour the Museum
Ireland’s National Maritime Museum is housed in Dun Laoghaire’s 180-year-old Mariner's Church, directly opposite the new DLR Lexicon library and easily accessible by DART suburban train and several bus services.
The museum’s greatest artefact is probably the building itself, as it is one of a few custom-built places of worship for seafarers remaining intact in the world today.
Testimonials
What people say about us
This is a sadly overlooked gem, staffed by volunteers, and filled with personal memories. I am astonished that it is so little mentioned by tourists and tour operators. It contains unique objects and stories that cannot be missed if you are anywhere near Dunlaoghaire. You should visit. It is better than much of the material offered to visitors to Dublin. 
We had our wedding ceremony at the Maritime Museum and it is the most wonderful venue. A big thank you to Siobhan and Declan who were so kind and helpful throughout the whole process. Planning a wedding in the middle of a pandemic is no easy task and they made everything as straightforward as they possibly could. This is such a stunning and unique venue for a wedding ceremony – the photographs are absolutely stunning particularly with the Baily Optic in the background. 
We had our wedding ceremony at the Maritime Museum and it is the most wonderful venue. A big thank you to Siobhan and Declan who were so kind and helpful throughout the whole process. Planning a wedding in the middle of a pandemic is no easy task and they made everything as straightforward as they possibly could. This is such a stunning and unique venue for a wedding ceremony – the photographs are absolutely stunning particularly with the Baily Optic in the background.
Our Partners
Our Partners
