The Butter Museum is located in the Shandon area of Cork. It shows the history of the Irish dairy industry from home-made dairy products to advanced, mechanized factory products. It presents items used during production, packaging, stamps for certification of butter, as well as documentation of factories and dairy markets.
The dairy products made in Ireland gained recognition after the country joined the European Economic Community. As an agricultural country with a small population, Ireland has rapidly grown into a strong dairy exporter. Aid funds flowing into the country allowed for the modernization of production. The museum shows how butter was made in the past and how production methods have changed, all the way to fully mechanized factories.
The tour of the exhibition begins with a film showing the history of Irish butter. After seeing it, visitors walk through the next rooms, moving from a simple, agricultural cottage and the wooden equipment for producing butter there, through the first manufactories, to a modern factory. Interestingly, there are vessels for making the so-called marsh butter. It is a characteristic product of Ireland. Butter in wooden or wicker containers, often seasoned with garlic, was buried in peat bogs for the winter, which ensured preservation and longer storage.
Attractions inside
