Museum of Newport Irish History Now Open to the Public

Ros Madigan and Stephan Conkey of Dublin, Ireland have only been in Newport a week, but are acclimating to life on this side of the pond quickly. Having the Museum of Newport Irish History just down the street from their rented Fifth Ward apartment makes them feel a bit like being at home.

Both recent university graduates are here for a summer sojourn and popped into the museum, located at 648 Thames Street, for a peek before lunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

On-duty historian John Curran, a lifelong Newport resident of Irish descent, was eager to share his knowledge of the Irish in Newport with the visiting Irishman, who took it all in with fascination and a smile.

"We are proud of our Irish heritage and the contribution we made to not only this community, but others across America,"  Curran said.

The mission of the interpretive museum, a non-profit organization made up of members who are interested in the Irish immigration to the Newport area, is dedicated to preserving and telling the story thorugh preservation of photographs, letters, documents and artifacts, as well as oral history tracing the chronology of the immigration to the Newport area.

The Museum is located at 648 Thames Street and open for visitors Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.