Ireland's collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities, which for the past 250 years was displayed either in large or small collections in a variety of locations, is now housed permanently in our National Museum Dublin. Previous locations include, the Ulster Museum in Belfast, the Boole Library in University College Cork, the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the Hunt Museum in Limerick and the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin.

The National Museum where the collection is now on display, was designed by Sir Thomas Newenham Deane and his son Sir Thomas Manly Deane in 1884 and finished in 1890. It faces across the courtyard from Leinster House, a fine Georgian mansion built in 1745 and now Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament), to the National Library on Kildare Street.
On busy Kildare Street the gilded title Museum is shown on the top of the wrought iron gateway leading to the large circular hall. There is a poster of the portrait of Lady Tentdinebu overhead in the dome and the museum shop is on the same ground floor. The Irish Antiquities Division hold one of Europe's most impressive collections of Antiquities. Among the items on display are items from the Stone Age to Medieval times, Irish gold treasures from the Bronze Age and Iron Age, and Early Christian Art such as the Ardagh Chalice, the Tara Brooch and the Cross of Cong to name but a few. Other exhibits date from Viking Age 800-1150, Irish silver, glass and ceramic wares. Also on display are items of Japanese culture, coins and medals, photographic equipment and major section on the history of Irish Independence 1916-1921. There is also now a collection of Egyptian Antiquities.

Many thousands of artefacts were found in excavations by Frederick W. Green, Sir William Flinders-Petrie, James Edward Quibell, Professor Naville, John Garstang, Miss Margaret Alice Murray and others in the Nile Valley. These contributed largely to the new museum by Egypt Exploration Fund, (Later Society) British School of Archaeology and Egyptian Research Account London founded from 1880 to 1915. In 1909 Miss Margaret Murray (1863-1963) British Egyptologist, arrived in Dublin and stayed for many months. She researched and registered the newly acquired Egyptian artefacts for the first published catalogue. This General Guide to the Art Collections included - Part III Egyptian Antiquities - Chapter I. Sculpture, Inscriptions, Ostraka, Egyptian Writing. Chapter II. - Mummies. Chapter III. - Pottery, Faience, Metal and Small Objects, in Dublin in 1910. Mr. Francis Llewellyn Griffith (1862-1934), British Egyptologist, later revised the translations of the inscriptions on stelas, mummies, fragments and statues etc.

The Egyptian Exhibition is housed on the first floor, in a fairly large room opened to the public for the first time by the Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Dick Spring TD, on Wednesday the 15th January. It had been closed since 1972. The exhibition which includes over five hundred and fifty objects chosen from the museums extensive collection of three thousands pieces are on display indefinitely, and was devised by the English Egyptologists Dr. Stephen Quirke and Dr. John Taylor of the British Museum. The exhibition room was designed and built by Patrick Gannon of the Office of Public Works. The atmospheric dark blue and terracotta setting is intended to evoke a sense of the mysterious Nile Valley, the home of Egyptian Archaeology. "We have approached the exhibition from a thematic rather than strictly chronological point of view" says Miss Mary Cahill, Assistant Keeper at the National Museum and exhibition co-ordinator. The 550 objects on exhibit are described in detail on the display-cases, highlighting the important of these artefacts.

Greeting the visitors at the doorway is an imitation black cast statue of a herald in long kilt, which stands on the pedestal inscribed with hieroglyphs, on his chest and on the original base at the feet. It's statue is now in the Kunsthistorische Museum, Vienna, Austria. The statue came from Armant near Thebes and is dated about 13th Dynasty c.1700 BC. Other features of the exhibition include:-
- A pylon with two illustrated sides in beautiful bas-relief, the Lady IPULA, the mother of vizier RAMOSE -relief carving in limestone in the Ramoses chapel-tomb at Thebes,- Male and Female guests at a banquet - Ramoses chapel-tomb. (18th Dynasty 1355 BC).
- In the midst of the display stands a painted wooden model of a Nile boat with 22 rowers, and two armed guards, from Beni Hassan tomb 585, and is about 36 inch long. (Early 12th Dynasty 1900 BC)
- On the right side of the exhibition are Pre-Dynasty-stone implements - arrowheads, scrapers, tools, flint knifes and blades, from Fayuim Neolithic 5000-3500 BC. Burial goods of a child - fish shaped siltstone palette c.4000 -3500 BC. Pre-Dynasty stonewares, painted pottery, burnished red and black topped bowls, tall jars, vases, vessels, calcite bowls and cosmetic.
- A painted brown limestone statue of SENEMIAH, a priest of Theban Moon - god Khons bears the unusual phrase - whose hands are pure when adoring his god. - from Thebes. It's one foot high. (Early 18th Dynasty 1500 BC).
- Eight temple wall fragments of sandstone carved in relief with series of offerings - bearers - courtiers - a head or god from the cult-temple of Pharaoh NEBHEPETRE MONTUHOTEP II. From Deir el Bahri, all painted mostly in terra-cotta with some mixed colours on legs, faces, shoulders, arms, animals and a quarter of Pharaohs eye and headdress with uraeus. (11th Dynasty)
- A wooden model rocker inscribed with the cartouche of MAAT-KA-RA ( HATSHEPSUT ) found in an undisturbed foundation deposit of the temple, contains fifty model implements by the Egypt Exploration Fund excavators in 1895 at Deir el Bahri. (1450 BC.)
- Limestone model vessels of the throne name of Pharaoh AMENOPHIS III from Abydos Orisis temple foundation deposit. (18th Dynasty).
- Tomb-chapel and offering to the dead - blockstone of REY, the Treasury of overseer and the granaries of Mont the local god of Armant, a city near Thebes, inscribed in hieroglyphs from Armant. (19th Dynasty).
- A stela of the official HETEPNEB inscribed and carved in sunken relief limestone bears a text to ensure an eternal supply of offering for the deceased. On this block, are the figures of Hetepneb, a local administrator and his wife, his beloved, the Royal Acquaintance, the Prophetess of Hathor, Ari. From Dra Abu el Nagi on the west bank of Thebes. (First Intermediate Period. 2100 BC.)
- A large red granite offering tablet of Pharaoh SENUSRET III with the epithets, Beloved of Khnum Lord of the Cataract area and of Satet lady of Elephantine and Beloved of Dedwer foremost of Nubia - the offering table stood probably originally in the temple built by Senusret III in his fortress at Semna on the second cataract, Nubia. (12th Dynasty c. 1862 BC.)

Last revised 25^th Nov 2001