Hunt Museum, Limerick (must see)

John and Gertrude Hunt were antique dealers and collectors. Over the years, they collected many pieces which reflected their interests. The size of the collection became unwieldy, and they looked for a home to keep their collection intact. The Hunt Museum opened in 1978 in a room of the National Institute of Higher Education.

Today the Hunt Museum is accommodated in the former Customs House of Limerick. The building is a Georgian Palladian-style edifice designed by Irish architect Davis Ducart in 1765. The Customs House opened as the Hunt Museum in February 1987. The anniversary of "Open Day" is observed with free admission, tours, and workshops.

The Hunt Museum is located on Rutland Street, near the confluence of the Abbey River with the River Shannon. The museum holds about 2,500 artifacts from Ireland and elsewhere. There are pieces from prehistoric Ireland and ancient Egypt. There are artworks from notable artists Pablo Picasso and Jack B. Yeats; and fashion designer Sybil Connolly.

The museum's "Treasury Room" houses early Christian artifacts, like King's Arthur Cross and Chalice. Medieval pieces such as the Antrim Cross, the Cashel Bell, and the Hohenzollern Crucifix are also housed here. Two multicolored "horse outside" fiberglass sculptures are installed in front of the building but are taken inside at night.