Dublin Writers Museum to close as it ‘no longer meets expectation’ of modern tourists

The Parnell Square museum had been closed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic back in March 2020.

The Dublin Writers Museum is set to close permanently, as an assessment carried out for its owner, Fáilte Ireland has said it “no longer meets the expectation of the contemporary museum visitor”.

The museum is now “exploring its options” for what to do with the building and its artefacts, the Independent reports.

Since the museum temporarily closed in March 2020, two members of staff have retired and two workers have been redeployed elsewhere within Fáilte Ireland, according to the National Tourism Development Authority.

A Fáilte Ireland statement shared by the Independent read:

We know from our work developing visitor attractions across the country that visitors consistently look for attractions that use modern and innovative storytelling that create impactful and immersive experiences.

As standards of heritage conservation and interpretation have advanced considerably over recent years, [it] concluded that the building at No 18 Parnell Square ‘no longer meets the expectation of the contemporary museum visitor in terms of accessibility, presentation and interpretation’. 

In July 2020, a professional assessment was carried out on the museum, which is located inside a Georgian terrace overlooking the Garden of Remembrance.

It was owned and operated by Dublin Tourism from 1991 to 2012, before being acquired by Fáilte Ireland in 2012.

The artefacts once housed at Dublin Writers Museum, which included Samuel Beckett’s telephone and letters by Brendan Behan are now under the care of Fáilte Ireland – some owned, others “on loan”.

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