Cork Butter Museum

Museum in Cork

Cork Butter Museum Brands
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Whoisjohngalt

The Butter Museum is adjacent to the former Butter Exchange, which was the world’s largest butter market during the 1800s. The museum chronicles the butter trade in Ireland, from early preservation methods, including butter stored in bogs (one exhibit features a keg with thousand-year-old butter), to the rise of the global giant Kerrygold.

The butter trade in the Shandon area began in 1730 with an outdoor butter market. This informal market thrived, leading to the establishment of the Cork Butter Market in 1769 on the grounds of the former Shandon Castle. Farmers from all over Munster brought their butter in firkins (barrels) to the Butter Exchange, where it was weighed and inspected for quality before being exported. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Cork butter trade flourished internationally.

In 1849, the market was expanded with a new imposing façade featuring Doric columns set on limestone plinths, designed by Sir John Benson. Benson also designed the Firkin Crane, where barrels were repaired and prepared for shipping the butter abroad.

By the late 19th century, the butter trade in Cork began to decline, and the market closed in 1924. The main buildings were converted into a hat factory in the 1930s, which operated until a devastating fire in 1976. Cork Corporation purchased the derelict buildings in 1980, renovating them into a craft centre, which remained open until 2011.

The Cork Butter Museum appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Cork!

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you!

Visiting Cork Butter Museum

Hours:

Jun – Sep open daily, Mon – Sat 10.00 – 4.00, Sun 11.00 – 4.00

Oct – Nov, Wed – Sat 10.00 – 4.00, Sun 11.00 – 4.00


Price:

Adults €5.00

Address: The Butter Museum, O'Connell Square, Shandon, Cork, Ireland
Duration: 20 minutes
Official Website

Nearby Attractions

Similar Blogs