New Exhibition Opens: ‘75 Years of Change: The Story of the Central Bank of Ireland’

• Central Bank marks 75th Anniversary with new exhibition in North Wall Quay Visitor Centre
• Exhibition charts eight decades of social, economic and political change in Ireland using rare film footage, previously unseen photographs, documents and blueprints drawn from the Central Bank’s historical archive
• Exhibition open to public from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday, with group bookings available.

As part of its 75th anniversary programme of events, the Central Bank of Ireland has opened a new exhibition as part of its Visitor Centre at its Docklands Campus on North Wall Quay, Dublin.

With free entry to the public, the exhibition titled ‘75 Years of Change: The Story of the Central Bank of Ireland’ is framed as a journey through Ireland’s history, and the role which the Central Bank has played since its foundation- from the transition of the old Currency Commission to the Central Bank in 1943, right through to the introduction of the euro and the financial crisis.

Charting eight decades of social, economic and political change and using rare film footage, previously unseen photographs, documents and blueprints drawn from the Central Bank’s historical archive (open to the public by appointment), the exhibition illustrates the pivotal role played by the Central Bank in Irish society through periods of economic growth and financial crisis alike.

Highlighting the Central Bank’s role in safeguarding stability and protecting consumers, the new exhibition sits alongside the existing ‘Pounds, Shillings & Independence’ exhibition, which explores the development of an independent Irish currency following the establishment of Saorstát Éireann (the Irish Free State) in 1922.

Visitors can learn how, inspired by the wildlife of Ireland, W. B. Yeats and English artist Percy Metcalfe oversaw the creation of some of the most iconic and controversial coin designs in history. Metcalfe’s designs have been reproduced in an especially commissioned 3D print display, alongside the designs of other artists who had entered the international coin design competition held in 1927.

The Visitor Centre is open to the public from 10am to 4pm (last entry 3:30pm) Monday to Friday. Group tours (10 or more people) can be booked by sending an email to [email protected]. Admission is free with a ground floor café open to exhibition visitors.

For more information, please visit the Central Bank of Ireland’s Visitor Centre website.