Hunt Museum

The museum is housed in the former Custom House, a distinguished eighteenth-century building located on Rutland Street in Limerick. Designed by the Italian architect Davis Ducart, the structure was constructed between 1765 and 1769 in the Palladian style. Historically, it served as the administrative center for the Revenue Commissioners, including Customs and Excise, and was the residence of the Collector. In the 1840s, the building also housed a Penny Post Office. The Office of Public Works undertook a major restoration and refurbishment of the historic structure, completing the work in 1996 to adapt it for use as a modern museum while preserving its architectural integrity.

The collection is particularly strong in medieval material, featuring statues in stone and wood, painted panels, jewelry, enamels, ivories, ceramics, crystal, and crucifixes. Notable Irish archaeological holdings include Neolithic flints, Bronze Age material such as a shield and cauldron, and the unique 9th-century Antrim Cross. The collection also boasts significant 18th and 19th-century decorative arts, including fine examples of silver, glass, and ceramics. Among the modern and contemporary works are pieces by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Roderic O'Conor, Jack B. Yeats, Robert Fagan, Henry Moore, and Paul Gauguin.