Our Mission
Exhibit, Preserve, Collect, and Promote
The purpose of the Michael Davitt Museum is to exhibit, preserve, collect, document, and promote the legacy of Michael Davitt’s life and career. It presents this unique historical, cultural, and educational experience through authentic print materials and original artefacts for the benefit of both Irish people and international visitors.
Michael Davitt was, and remains, a central figure in Irish history. A man of the people with deep compassion and a strong social conscience, he devoted his life to improving conditions for those without a voice and to making culture an essential part of everyday Irish life.
For this reason, the Michael Davitt Museum is more than a history museum — it is a cultural and social treasure, filled with remarkable artefacts and many of Davitt’s personal belongings, including original documents, photographs, Land Acts, letters, postcards, posters, and rosary beads.
To offer visitors an authentic experience, the museum is located in a beautifully restored pre-Penal church used before the 1690s Penal Laws. It stands beside the 13th-century Straide Friary, founded in 1249, creating a powerful link between faith, heritage, and history.
Michael Davitt, who was born and raised here in Straide, is buried in the cemetery behind the museum — also the resting place of Anne Deane, President of the Ladies Land League.
We are honoured to share the story of Michael Davitt with visitors from Ireland and across the world.
His story is part of our story — and we look forward to sharing it with you so that it becomes your story too.
