National Print Museum

21/05/2026

On the last Thursday of every month, step back into the world of traditional printing with our special Monthly Live Demo.

Join our panel of retired printers and compositors as they bring the Museum collection to life. Watch the presses in action, hear stories from the trade, and enjoy a rare glimpse into Ireland’s printing heritage.

It’s undoubtedly one of the most engaging ways to experience the Museum in action.

Book your place today for Thursday 28 May at noon: https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/whats-on/monthly-live-demo/

17/05/2026

05/05/2026

As Poster Boys came to a close last week, we are proud to ensure its impact continues through this digital legacy project.

Developed by Open Design and Digital, the online exhibition, makes this rich visual archive accessible to wider audiences, preserving and sharing an important chapter of Ireland’s design and theatre history for years to come.

This element of the project is in memory of Brendan Foreman who sadly died in March.

With thanks to support from Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Design & Crafts Council Ireland

https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/digital-exhibitions/poster-boys/

30/04/2026

Míle buíochas le Cúla4 as cuairt a thabhairt orainn le déanaí. Tá an clár ar fáil anseo https://cula4.com/seinn/siar-linn/S3E2
Bain sult as!

Many thanks Cúla4 for visiting us recently. The programme is available here https://cula4.com/seinn/siar-linn/S3E2
Enjoy it!

28/04/2026

Open the Archives

Read Trinity College Dublin MA student, Niamh O'Donnell's interpretation of the Abbey Theatre posters for Seán O’Casey's The Plough and the Stars and The Shadow of a Gunman.

https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/the-shadow-of-a-gunman-and-the-plough-the-stars-by-sean-ocasey/

To see more posters by Brendan Foreman and Kevin Scally, visit Poster Boys. Must end this week!

24/04/2026

Last weekend to see Poster Boys
& first look at its digital afterlife

We invite you to experience the final days of Poster Boys: the work of Kevin Scally and Brendan Foreman for the Abbey Theatre, alongside the launch of a new digital exhibition that will extend its reach far beyond the gallery walls.

As Poster Boys comes to a close, we are proud to ensure its impact continues through this digital legacy project. Developed by Open Design, the online exhibition makes this rich visual archive accessible to wider audiences, preserving and sharing an important chapter of Ireland’s design and theatre history for years to come. This element of the project is in memory of Brendan Foreman who sadly died last month.

https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/digital-exhibitions/poster-boys/

Supported by Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

23/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us to commemorate “Printing the Proclamation” 110 years on.

If you missed it, here’s a link to our 2016 commemorative exhibition, “Seditious Types: The Legacy of the Printers of 1916”.

https://www.printersof1916.com/

The National Print Museum's 1916 exhibition seeks to engage the public in an understanding of the Rising from a fresh perspective. Seditious Types will explore the role of printers active in 1916 and the central role of printed media in shaping the image and meaning of the Rising.

21/04/2026

Open the Archives

In the the fourth iteration of , Niamh O’Donnell explores our archive as part of her MPhil in Public History & Cultural Heritage at College Dublin.

"During my internship with the National Print Museum, I had the fantastic opportunity to highlight interesting material that is not already on display to the general public. My Open the Archives project seeks to expand on the exhibition called ‘Poster Boys.’ The exhibition allows the public to engage with posters from the 1970s and 1980s advertising Abbey Theatre productions. It is my hope that this Open the Archives project can bring some of the posters that did not make it into the exhibition to light as well providing further historical detail to some posters within the exhibition."

Read Niamh's take on "The Moon in the Yellow River" Abbey Theatre Poster.

Read full article here
https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/the-moon-in-the-yellow-river-by-denis-johnston/

20/04/2026

Last chance to see the Poster Boys exhibition at the National Print Museum!

We invite you to experience the final days of Poster Boys: the work of Kevin Scally and Brendan Foreman for the Abbey Theatre.

“There is a skill to creating a good poster for a play. It shouldn’t say too little, and above all, it should not say too much. The image can guide you subtly to the heart of the text and show you some of the secrets behind the writing.” – Frank McGuinness

The Abbey Theatre was founded in 1904. The Peacock, a smaller venue for experimental productions, was added in 1927. The theatre was destroyed by fire in 1951 and replaced by a new building designed by the Irish architect Michael Scott.

The ‘new’ Abbey opened in 1966. Glass cases were incorporated into the façade for the display of posters and photographs. At the time, posters were typically hand-written notices or letterpress playbills and these were strictly informative. In 1970s, the Abbey embraced contemporary advertising strategies, employing its first in-house graphic designer in 1972: Kevin Scally. The late Brendan Foreman succeeded Scally in late 1979.

Visit the exhibition to view the work of Scally and the late Foreman, which demonstrates a vast array of visual styles and approaches.

Last day: Thursday 30 April.
Free admission. Plan your visit today https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/

Photos by Mark Henderson.

16/04/2026

Printing the 1916 Proclamation

Join us for a live reenactment of the printing of the 1916 Proclamation to commemorate its 110th anniversary.

The Proclamation of the Irish Republic was presented during the Easter Rising in 1916 as a formal declaration that the Irish Republic was a sovereign state, rightfully independent from Great Britain. Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the Rising, read the Proclamation in front of the General Post Office on Easter Monday (24 April) and heralded the start of the revolution against the British. This is one of the defining moments in Irish history.

The printing of the nation’s most historic printed document was done in great haste, and work was carried out early into the early hours of the morning before the Rising was due to take place. It was created by compositors Michael J. Molloy and Liam O Briain and printer Christopher Brady. It was printed under difficult conditions at Liberty Hall using a Wharfedale Double-Crown model printer. The response of the printers in the face of such a significant moment in Irish history is a testament to their resourcefulness, ingenuity, and craft.

The Museum’s Wharfedale was restored to full working order in 2016 and has been used to print replica Proclamations. Printer, Freddie Snowe, will share the remarkable story of the printing of this iconic document and run the Museum’s Wharfedale Stop Cylinder for this special occasion.

Free, booking advised

Book here! https://www.nationalprintmuseum.ie/whats-on/printing-the-1916-proclamation/