Monday, October 13, 2025

Shackleton's cabin opens to the public

The Shackleton Experience in Athy, Kildare, has reopened to the public following a €7.5 million redevelopment with the actual cabin in which polar explorer Ernest Shackleton died of a heart attack on the ship ‘Quest’ during the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition in 1922 taking pride of place.

The attraction combines the largest collection of Shackleton artefacts in the world with interactive exhibits. The cabin had been used for many years as a garden shed in Norway, after the cabin was removed and the ship adapted for whaling. After it was donated to the museum, it was painstakingly restored by historical conservator Sven Habermann, based in Connemara.

While the cabin itself is relatively untouched thanks to the cold conditions in which it was kept, the interior has obviously required more work and has been refurnished to a state as close as possible to its existence under Shackleton's command, with sections of the bed and drawers remaining as original features. 

More details and photos at the Irish Examiner.

Photo courtesy Kildare County Council

***********************************************

Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company

No comments:

Post a Comment