Our Services

Our museum tours represent the core of our visitor experience, providing structured exploration of Gallic heritage through expert-led presentations and self-guided options. Each tour type has been carefully designed to meet the needs of different audiences, from casual visitors seeking an introduction to Gallic culture to specialists interested in particular aspects of our collection.

Guided Tours

Guided tours are led by trained docents who combine scholarly knowledge with engaging presentation skills. Tours last approximately 90 minutes and cover the highlights of our permanent collection, including the Gallic warrior armor, numismatic collection, domestic artifacts, and special exhibition galleries. Docents provide historical context, explain archaeological methods, and answer questions throughout the tour.

Our standard guided tour follows a chronological progression, beginning with the earliest evidence of Gallic civilization around 800 BCE and continuing through the Roman conquest and subsequent cultural transformations. This approach allows visitors to understand how Gallic society evolved over time and how external pressures shaped cultural development.

Specialized guided tours focus on particular themes or aspects of the collection. Options include "Gallic Art and Aesthetics," which examines decorative traditions and artistic conventions; "Warriors and Warfare," exploring military organization and technology; "Daily Life in Gallic Society," focusing on domestic artifacts and social structures; and "Trade and Exchange," investigating economic connections between Gallic territories and neighboring regions including Ireland.

Self-Guided Tours

Self-guided tours provide flexibility for visitors who prefer to explore at their own pace. Our galleries feature comprehensive interpretive labels in English and Irish, with additional information available through our mobile app and printed guides. Audio guides are available in eight languages: English, Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Mandarin Chinese.

The audio guide includes 45 stops throughout the museum, with content ranging from brief overviews (2-3 minutes) to detailed discussions (5-7 minutes) of significant objects. Visitors can choose which stops to access based on their interests and available time. The guide also includes interviews with curators, archaeologists, and other experts who provide additional perspectives on the collection.

School Group Tours

School group tours are tailored to specific age groups and curriculum requirements. We work with teachers in advance to understand learning objectives and customize the tour content accordingly. Tours for primary school students (ages 8-12) emphasize hands-on activities, visual learning, and connections to students' own experiences. Secondary school tours (ages 13-18) incorporate more complex historical analysis, primary source examination, and critical thinking exercises.

Each school group tour includes a pre-visit orientation session where students learn basic information about Gallic civilization and receive guidance on how to observe and interpret artifacts. During the tour, students engage with replica objects, participate in discussions, and complete structured observation activities. Post-visit materials help teachers reinforce learning and connect museum content to classroom curriculum.

Private Tours

Private tours offer personalized experiences for individuals, families, or small groups. These tours can be customized to focus on specific interests, accommodate special needs, or provide access to collection storage areas and conservation laboratories. Private tours must be booked at least two weeks in advance and are subject to staff availability.

Our educational programs extend beyond basic tours to provide in-depth learning opportunities for students, teachers, and lifelong learners. These programs are grounded in current educational research and designed to develop historical thinking skills, cultural awareness, and appreciation for archaeological methods.

Workshops and Seminars

We offer regular workshops on topics ranging from ancient metalworking techniques to archaeological excavation methods. Workshops are hands-on and experiential, allowing participants to engage directly with materials and processes. Our metalworking workshop, for example, includes demonstrations of bronze casting and participants create their own simple bronze objects using historically accurate methods.

Archaeological methods workshops teach participants how to analyze artifacts, interpret archaeological sites, and understand the limitations of material evidence. Participants examine real artifacts from our study collection, practice documentation techniques, and learn about conservation principles. These workshops are particularly popular with undergraduate students considering careers in archaeology or museum work.

Lecture Series

Our evening lecture series brings leading scholars to Dublin to present their research to public audiences. Lectures occur monthly during the academic year and cover diverse topics related to Gallic and Celtic studies. Recent lectures have addressed new archaeological discoveries in France, reinterpretations of Gallic social structure based on burial evidence, and comparative analysis of Gallic and Irish art styles.

Lectures are free and open to the public, though advance registration is required due to limited seating. Each lecture is followed by a question-and-answer session and informal reception where attendees can meet the speaker and discuss the presentation. Lectures are recorded and made available through our website for those unable to attend in person.

Teacher Professional Development

We provide professional development opportunities for teachers who want to incorporate museum resources into their teaching. Programs include summer institutes, academic-year workshops, and online courses. Teachers learn strategies for using primary sources, developing inquiry-based lessons, and connecting museum visits to curriculum standards.

Participants receive comprehensive resource packets including lesson plans, artifact images, primary source documents, and assessment tools. We also provide ongoing support through an online community where teachers share ideas, ask questions, and access additional materials. Teachers who complete our professional development programs receive continuing education credits recognized by the Irish Department of Education.

University Partnerships

We maintain formal partnerships with several Irish and European universities, providing internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, supporting dissertation research, and offering access to our collections for academic study. Student interns work in various departments including curation, education, conservation, and visitor services, gaining practical experience in museum operations.

Special events provide opportunities for community engagement, cultural celebration, and public programming beyond our regular offerings. Events range from family-friendly festivals to scholarly symposia, each designed to highlight different aspects of Gallic heritage and connect historical content to contemporary interests.

Cultural Festivals

Our annual Gallic Heritage Festival occurs each September and features three days of activities including historical reenactments, craft demonstrations, traditional music performances, food tastings, and hands-on workshops. The festival attracts over 5,000 visitors and has become a highlight of Dublin's cultural calendar.

Reenactors from across Europe demonstrate Gallic military tactics, domestic crafts, and ceremonial practices. Craftspeople show traditional techniques for pottery, weaving, metalworking, and jewelry making. Musicians perform on reconstructed ancient instruments, and scholars give short presentations on various aspects of Gallic culture. Food vendors offer dishes based on archaeological evidence of Gallic cuisine.

Exhibition Openings

We mount three to four special exhibitions annually, each accompanied by a public opening reception. Exhibition topics have included "Gallic Women: Beyond the Warrior Stereotype," "Coins and Commerce: Economic Life in Ancient Gaul," and "Sacred Spaces: Gallic Religious Practices." Openings feature curator talks, live music, and refreshments.

Family Programs

Monthly family programs provide age-appropriate activities for children and their parents or guardians. Programs include storytelling sessions featuring Gallic myths and legends, art workshops where children create projects inspired by artifacts in our collection, and scavenger hunts that encourage careful observation of gallery displays.

Family programs are designed to be educational while remaining fun and engaging. Activities are structured to accommodate different age groups, and materials are provided in multiple languages. Programs are free with museum admission and do not require advance registration, though space is limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Our research library and collection study facilities support scholarly investigation of Gallic civilization and related topics. Resources are available to qualified researchers by appointment, and we welcome inquiries from graduate students, university faculty, independent scholars, and other museum professionals.

Library Collections

The research library contains over 8,000 volumes including monographs, exhibition catalogs, conference proceedings, and complete runs of major journals in archaeology, ancient history, and Celtic studies. Holdings are particularly strong in French-language scholarship on Gallic civilization and comparative Celtic studies. The library also maintains a collection of rare books and manuscripts, including 19th-century archaeological reports and early scholarly treatments of Gallic culture.

Collection Access

Researchers may request access to objects in our study collection that are not on public display. Requests must be submitted in writing at least four weeks in advance and should specify the objects of interest and the research purpose. Access is granted based on the scholarly merit of the proposed research and the conservation status of the requested objects.

Researchers work in our dedicated study room under staff supervision. Photography is permitted for scholarly purposes, subject to copyright restrictions and conservation concerns. We ask that researchers acknowledge the museum in any publications resulting from their work and provide us with copies of published materials for our library.