Overview
The Custom House on Rutland Street was built in the 1760s to collect duty on goods moving up the Shannon; since 1997 it has housed the Hunt Museum, a private collection of around 2,500 objects gathered by one couple over a lifetime. It’s a compact museum – the average visit runs 45 minutes to an hour – set in one of Limerick’s finest Georgian buildings, with the riverside walk along the Shannon right outside the door.
History and architecture
The building was designed by the Italian-trained architect Davis Ducart and built between 1765 and 1769 as Limerick’s Custom House, a Palladian block in local limestone. The Shannon was then a working commercial artery, and the duties collected here helped fund the city’s Georgian expansion. As trade patterns shifted and customs work moved on, the building gradually fell into disrepair.
The collection came from a different direction entirely. In the 1930s John Hunt, an antique dealer, and his wife Gertrude began acquiring objects across Europe, building up a private holding of medieval, ancient and fine-art pieces. The Hunt Museums Trust was set up in 1974, but the move into the Custom House came later: the Office of Public Works restored the building and it opened as the Hunt Museum on 14 February 1997.
What to see inside
The galleries are arranged so you move from the ancient world through medieval Ireland to European and Irish art. With roughly 2,500 objects spanning 5,000 years, the standouts are worth seeking out rather than trying to see everything:
- Medieval Ireland – the fifteenth-century O’Dea Mitre and Crozier, made for the Bishop of Limerick, and the early medieval Antrim Cross.
- European and Irish art – paintings by Picasso and Renoir hang alongside Irish work, including Jack B. Yeats.
- Decorative arts and design – the celebrated evening dresses of the Irish designer Sybil Connolly.
- The bronze horse – the small bronze once attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the piece visitors most often stop at, though its provenance is disputed.
Temporary shows rotate through a dedicated gallery: in 2026, Our, Óir, Ore. (23 April to 20 September) looks at four millennia of Limerick silver and gold. The museum also holds a free Open Day each February.
Beyond the galleries
The riverside promenade outside follows the curve of the Shannon, with clear sightlines to King’s Island and the medieval ruins of King John’s Castle. It connects through to Arthur’s Quay, the revitalised riverside district with cafés and regular markets. Inside, the museum has a café for coffee and light meals and a gift shop with books on Irish art and reproductions of the collection.
Practical information
- Location: The Custom House, Rutland Street, Limerick, V94 EV8A, right on the riverfront.
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–17:00, Sunday 11:00–17:00, closed Monday.
- Admission: €12.50 adult, €10 concessions, under-16s free with an adult.
- Transport: a five-minute walk from the city centre; the nearest station is Limerick Colbert. Street parking is limited, with a multi-storey car park a short walk away.
- Time needed: reckon on 45 minutes to an hour for the permanent collection.
This is an hour’s museum, not an afternoon’s, so pair it with the riverside walk to King John’s Castle – or, if you can, time your visit for the free February Open Day.