EPIC – THE IRISH EMIGRATION MUSEUM
LEARN HOW THE IRISH INFLUENCED AND SHAPED THE WORLD
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is a state-of-the-art interactive experience located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure point for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day.
Over the centuries, some 10 million people have left the island of Ireland. At EPIC you can step through 20 galleries to find out why people left, see how they influenced the world they found, and experience the connection between their descendants and Ireland today. Immerse yourself in the stories of some of the most remarkable tales of sacrifice, endurance, adventure, and discovery the world has ever known. EPIC brings these amazing stories to life in a unique and spectacular way.
The galleries are organized into 4 compelling themes of migration, motivation, influence and connection. These themes explore the stories of adventure and tragedy that have shaped the narrative of Irish emigration - why people through the ages have left Ireland; the extraordinary influence of the Irish abroad in politics, business, science, sport and the arts; how the technology of today has changed the emigrant experience; and how the legacy of Irish emigration has helped spread and shape Irish culture and traditions not just at home, but in other countries and societies.
Designed by Event Communications, the multi-award winning designers of Titanic Belfast, the development of EPIC is the single largest investment in a tourist attraction in Dublin in the last 15 years.
EPIC was founded by Neville Isdell, former Chairman and CEO of Coca Cola and member of the Irish diaspora himself. Neville left Ulster with his parents for Northern Rhodesia in the mid-1950s and has subsequently lived and worked outside Ireland for more than sixty years.
Mervyn Greene, Managing Director, EPIC said: ‘The vision and objective of EPIC is to be the essential first port of call for visitors to Ireland, the first piece of orientation for any trip. Its purpose is to tell untold epic stories in a unique, highly entertaining and informative way.’
He continued: ‘EPIC provides the opportunity to celebrate and enhance the connectivity between Ireland and those who left, but benefitted from being Irish. It will also enables those with no connection to Ireland or its diaspora to have the opportunity to understand this story of the Irish people and why emigration looms so large in the Irish consciousness both in the past and today.’
As well as the high tech interactive exhibition, EPIC offers a state-of-the-art genealogy centre, the Irish Family History Centre, operated by Eneclann, Ireland’s leading genealogical services provider. In addition to extensive, easy-to-use research facilities, the Irish Family History Centre also offers personal consultations with a professional genealogist, and the latest DNA testing to help visitors explore their Irish roots.