National leprechaun museum: svet, ki ga ne bi pričakovali
Ste že obiskali Dublin? Vam je všeč? Mene ni zelo prepričal, vseeno pa sem prav v tem mestu našla enega svojih najljubših muzejev – National leprechaun museum.
Beseda »leprechaun« v slovenščini kolikor vem nima dobesednega prevoda. A, če ne veste, kdo so »leprechauni«, vam jih najlažje opišem kot irske škrate, s cilindri, oblečene v zeleno, ki prebivajo na dnu mavrice in čuvajo zlato. ?
National leprechaun museum je res nekaj posebnega in gotovo popolnoma drugačen muzej, kot ste jih kadarkoli videli. Njihov slogan »Zunaj muzej, znotraj pa nekaj čisto drugega« ni iz trte izvit.
Muzej si lahko ogledate samo z vodstvom
Muzej si lahko ogledate zgolj v spremstvu vodičev, ki ob enem postanejo tudi vaši pripovedovalci zgodb, vodenje pa je na voljo bolj kot ne vsako uro v času odprtja muzeja. Vendar priporočajo, da si svojo uro rezervirate, saj je število ljudi na posamezno vodenje omejeno.
Ponujajo dnevno vodenje, ki je primerno tudi za odrasle, konec tedna pa organizirajo nočno vodenje, ki je namenjeno le tistim + 18. Zakaj, boste vprašali. Ker so zgodbe iz irske mitologije naravnost krute in strašljive. Česa nas učijo? Naš vodič, ki je bil odličen, nam je rekel, da tega, kar se mora naučiti vsak Irec – tudi upanje umre. »Ampak sedaj, ko smo v EU, je vseeno mnogo bolje,« dodaja z nasmeškom na obrazu, da niti ne veš ali misli resno ali ne.
Ko vstopite, se vam odpre nov svet
Ko boste vstopili v muzej, se boste najprej znašli v sobici, ki pravzaprav spominja na klasični muzej. Tam si lahko preberete in ogledate nekaj o irski mitologiji in seveda o irskih škratih – leprechaunih. Mimogrede, zelena barva oblačil je Disneyeva domislica, ki niti ni tako stara. Po nekaj uvodnih minutah, pa se vam bo odprl nov svet.
Znašli se boste v velikanovem brlogu, spoznali iz katerega dela Irske prihajajo različna mitološka bitja, se sprehodili pod mavrico in našli zlato. Skozi ves čas, pa vas bo vodil vodič, ki vam bo pripovedoval zgodbe. Nima posebnega scenarija, zato si lahko sami izberete o čem bi želeli poslušati. Lahko pa se prepustite samo njemu in tudi takrat vam bo všeč. Vodenje traja 45 minut in je polno pravljic, šal, petja in komunikacije, tako da ti je žal, da se konča tako hitro. Toda tudi, če boste v muzej otroke peljali čez dan, bodite pripravljeni na nekaj strašljivih zgodb. Morda vam je dovolj že podatek, da mi je vodič – ki je, mimogrede takrat delal tam zadnji dan, kar je res škoda, ker je naravnost odličen – ko je vprašal, kaj bi naredili z »leprechaunom«, če bi ga srečali, na moj odgovor »pogovarjala bi se z njim« zaploskal in rekel, da sem v nekaj letih, kar dela tam, prva, ki je dala tako prijazen odgovor.
Več vam o muzeju ne bom povedala, da vam ne pokvarim presenečenja, vsekakor pa se vam ta čudoviti kotiček splača obiskati, še posebej, če imate radi zgodbe in mitologijo. Jaz sem naravnost uživala, verjamem, da boste tudi vi.
Ocena: 5,5 / 6
National leprechaun museum: the world, that you won’t expect
Have you already visited Dublin? Did you like it? I wasn’t so impressed by it, but still, there I have found one of my favourite museums – National leprechaun museum.
Leprechauns are Irish dwarfs dressed in green that are living at the end of the rainbow and are guarding the pot of gold.
National leprechaun museum is very special and totally different museum as you are used to. Their slogan is »Museum from the outside, something else inside« and it tells you a lot.
Guided tours only
You can visit museum only in the company of a guide, that also becomes your storyteller. Guided tours are usually available every hour while the museum is open, but they advise you to book your tour ahead, because the number of people in one guided tour is very limited.
They’re offering a daytime tour, that is also suitable for children, but on the weekends, they are offering nigh time tours, that are suited only for those 18+. Why, you say? Because the Irish stories are very cruel and scary. And what they are teaching us? Our guide – who was really great – told us that they are teaching us what every Irish person needs to learn one day – that the hope dies. »But now, that we are in EU, everything is better, « he says afterwards with a big smile on his face, so you don’t really know if he’s for real or just kidding.
When you enter, the new world opens
When you’ll enter the museum, you will firstly find yourself at a small room, that is really similar to other museums. There you’ll be able to read about Irish mythology and – of course – leprechauns and see some artefacts. By the way, the green colour of leprechauns’ clothes is a Disney mot and it’s not so old either. And after a few minutes, the new world will open.
You will enter the giants’ lair, learn from which part of Ireland which mythological beings are coming, you will walk under the rainbow and find the pot of gold. Through the whole tour the guide will be with you to tell you stories. He doesn’t have any script, so you can talk about anything you want. But even if you let him to go by his path, you will like it. The guided tours last about 45 minutes and are full of fairy-tales, jokes, songs and communication, so at the end you are very sorry that the tour already ended. But be warned, even if you take your children to the day tour, be prepared for some scary stories. Maybe this information is enough… When our guide – he was working the last day and he was amazing – asked us, what we would do if we would find leprechaun, I answered »I would talk to him« and he applauded me and told me that in a few years, he was working there, I was the first person that answered so kindly.
I won’t tell you more about the museum, so I don’t ruin the surprise for you, but I absolutely advise you to visit this wonderful place in Dublin. Especially if you like stories and mythology. I was really enjoying myself and I believe you would too.
Review: 5,5 / 6
