HUNT MUSEUM
Limerick City, County Limerick

Born in London in 1900, John Hunt studied both architecture and medicine, but ended up with a career as an antique dealer. It wasn't long before he established himself as an authority on medieval art.

John met Gertrude Hartman in the early 1930s. They both shared a love of art and antiques, and after they married in 1933 they formed a formidable team. By the end of the 1930s, they moved away from being shop-based dealers and became advisors to major collectors.

Over the years, the Hunts helped form collections for the likes of Sir William Burrell of Glasgow, shipping merchant and philanthropist; William Randolph Hearst of California, American newspaper magnate and leading newspaper publisher; and the Aga Khan, hereditary title of the Imam of the Nizari Muslims. The Hunts were also advisors for Sotheby's.
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It was also during this time that the Hunts started to form their own collection. The couple moved to Lough Gur, County Limerick in 1939. Professor Seán Ó'Riordáin of University College Cork had started an archaeological excavation program on the ancient sites there and John could not wait to get involved.

Over the next twenty years, John Hunt indulged his interests in archaeology and worked at Lough Gur on an ongoing basis while tending to his other concerns. Hunt is credited with reconstructing the first Neolithic house. This was a prototype that inspired the later construction of a similar house at Hunts' experimental project at Craggaunowen, County Clare, which was founded in 1960 but didn't open to the public until 1975.

John Hunt is credited with encouraging Lord Gort to restore Bunratty Castle in the 1950s, sharing his extensive knowledge of the medieval period to ensure the accuracy of the project.

The Hunts moved into a larger home in Howth, County Dublin in 1956. Their new home allowed them to display they're ever-growing collection of antiquities. But in the 1970s, the Hunts realized that they needed to find a more appropriate place to house their collection and began looking for a permanent location. Initially, they'd considered housing the collection in Craggaunowen, as the 16th century tower had recently been restored, or possibly build a dedicated house. But this all proved to be too expensive. Even the Irish Government declined to offer the Hunts a suitable home for their collection.

In 1974, the Hunt Museum Trust was established to care for the collection, and was also responsible for the Craggaunowen property, on behalf of the Irish people. The Trust established The Hunt Museum Ltd whose sole purpose was to find a permanent home for the collection.

It was Dr. Edward Walsh, President of the National Institute of Higher Education (now the University of Limerick), made an offer the Hunts' couldn't refuse. The Hunt Museum at Plassey was officially opened in 1978, and under the guidance of Dr. Tony Ryan, a private-public partnership was established. The collection, which included the university's collection, remained on display in the university until 1997 when the Hunt collection was moved to its permanent and present location in the 18th century Customs House in Limerick City. This location was made available through a cooperation with the university, Shannon Development, Limerick Corporation and the Department of the Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, which organized the necessary funds to restore and renovate the building to international museum standards. The museum was officially opened on 14 February 1997 by An Taoiseach John Bruton.

The Customs House was built by Italian architect Davis Ducart in 1765 in the Palladian style, which was popular in Ireland at the time. It was the offices of the Revenue Commissioners, including Customs and Excise in Limerick. In the 1840s, the building was used as the Penny Post Office. The Penny Post is a type of postal systems which normal letters could be sent for one penny.

John Hunt passed away in 1976. His wife Gertrude followed in March 1995. Neither lived to see their dream of a dedicated museum for their collection. John Jr. and Trudy, their children, have continued in their parents' footsteps. Following in their philanthropic outlook, John and Trudy donated the remainder of their parents' collection to the museum, which today is a collection of more than 2,000 works of art, antiquities and archaeological artifacts.

Visitors can chose to explore the museum either on their own or by one of the regular guided tours. Tours are about an hour at no extra charge on top of the museum entry fee. Regular exhibits include the art of Picasso, Renoir and Yeats. Medieval items include weapons and tools, including those from the Celtic period. The Jewelry Gallery, Mary Queens of Scots Cross and the Treasury are all must sees. While in the Treasury, don't miss the Greek coin reputed to be "one of the thirty pieces of silver" paid to Judas for the betrayal of Christ.

Along with the collection, visitors can enjoy Ducart's Restaurant and the Hunt Museum Gift Shop, which stocks jewelry, books, greeting cards, silk scarves and ties, gemstones, ceramics, prints, and historical reproductions.

~ Pay attraction
~ Parking available
~ Easy access

http://www.huntmuseum.com