The Dublin Fire Brigade Museum

Our Collection

Set up in 1985, the Dublin Fire Brigade Museum houses a unique collection of artefacts in a historic setting. Many of the items in our collection were donated by the families of Dublin firefighters, including those of the men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The museum spans two floors and includes the likes of uniforms, equipment and photographs. It also features historical items from significant events in Dublin's history in which Dublin Fire Brigade was mobilised. These include the 1916 Rising, the Irish War of Independence and Civil War, the 1941 Luftwaffe bombing of the North Strand and the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire.

Visitors can see how firefighting equipment has evolved and photographs will transport them back to the days when firefighters wore a suit and tie to report for duty.

Dublin Fire Brigade was first founded in 1862, while its Ambulance Service was launched in 1898.

The History of the O'Brien Institute

The Dublin Fire Brigade Museum is located at the O'Brien Institute on the Malahide Road in Marino. This historic building was acquired by Dublin Corporation in 1982. Two years later, Dublin Fire Brigade began training its operational personnel here and it still hosts the Dublin Fire Brigade Training Centre today.

The story of the O'Brien Institute dates back to the 1800s when a wholesale woollen draper called Michael O'Brien left his £115,000 estate to his four daughters. His two youngest, Mary and Bridget, were twins. When Mary died in 1847, she left most of her property to Bridget. Then, when Bridget died in 1876, she left most of her estate to the Archbishop of Dublin for the purpose of founding and funding a school in the city for Catholic children.

Two year's after Bridget's death, Cardinal Cullen bought the 300 acre Marino Estate and set aside 30 acres of it for the school. Construction began on the O'Brien Institute in 1880 and was complete in 1882.

The building was French Gothic in style and contained study halls, dormitories, community rooms, refectories, a library, a laboratory and a dairy. When it opened it was named 'The school of the twin sisters'. Today, it is better known as the O'Brien Institute.

The institution educated boys and girls up until 1972, when the Christian Brothers opened a new secondary school nearby. The institute then closed until Dublin Corporation bought the building ten years later. 

Visit the Dublin Fire Brigade Museum

Tours take place every Thursday between 10.30am and 1.30pm, but they must be booked in advance. Our staff can accommodate both individuals and groups.

To arrange a visit, contact the museum using the details below.