Bit of a story around this, so I hope you'll enjoy a small slice of #Limerick history... https://twitter.com/PeoplesMuseumLK/status/1297894150289883136

So, when I started working with Brian Hodkinson of the @LimerickMuseum many moons ago, I stumbled upon a few pieces of taxidermy in the collection online( http://museum.limerick.ie )

I was intrigued to see that there were dozens of species of animals in the collection

I asked Brian, the curator at the time, what was the story behind the stuffed animals.

He said that they belonged to a man from Limerick city called Paul O'Connor. Mr. O'Connor had made these pieces from the 1970s onwards, before donating them to @LimerickMuseum

Unfortunately, Mr. O'Connor's story takes a tragic turn. He donated these to the museum one random Wednesday, and asked that the museum look after them.

That weekend, Mr. O'Connor passed away from cancer.

If you visit @PeoplesMuseumLK to look at the collection, you will see the passion that he had for his work.

While many people will look at these pieces of taxidermy and be a little bit freaked out (don't worry, that is normal!) there's actually a real art to these pieces..

All of these animals were killed by accident, either killed on the road or by flying into buildings/electric cables.. and Mr. O'Connor shaped these animals to look like they are in their natural habitat. The backdrops, the poses, the sense that they are living *creatures*

It is clear that these were to be used in an educational way, so while we called this exhibition "Get Stuffed", and it leans into the Natural History Museum's #deadzoo idea, there is a lot more going on in this exhibition than the name implies..

These animals are staged so that people can see how they lived, whether it's a hen harrier clutching its prey in its talons, puffins huddling together on a cliffside, or two otters fighting over their dinner at their couch!

I hope it honours Mr. O'Connor's memory, and his wishes

I want people to enjoy the exhibition, and I wish to thank everyone who helped bring this exhibition to life, including @PeoplesMuseumLK , @LimerickMuseum, with special thanks to @Rose_Anne_White for being a spectacular person to work with over the past month!