Olivia Daly’s Harry Potter Doll House 2015

From an upcycled Barbie house “My daughter Olivia who was 12 years old, and I designed the Harry Potter* house together. She was a big Harry Potter fan for years. She listened to the audio books most nights (she has dyslexia but had a passion for a good story). The movies had also been watched… Continue reading Olivia Daly’s Harry Potter Doll House 2015

Tara Byrne’s Doll House 1970s

“The story behind it is …. The wooden doll’s house was made by local man Dinny Madden, Donabate, for my daughter Tara almost 50 years ago.  The house is a replica of the original local parish priest’s house, which is a protected structure, but sadly is now empty.  The house measures 3 ft length by… Continue reading Tara Byrne’s Doll House 1970s

Waterford Doll House early 19th C

Early 19th C wooden, three storey, doll’s Town House, belonging to the Russell family, Seafield, Waterford.  Barbara Wright played with the Seafield Dolls house as a small girl. It had been given to her by her Aunt Kathleen Hudson (nee Russell) who lived in a large house called Carriganore just outside Waterford in the late… Continue reading Waterford Doll House early 19th C

Doll House Vacuum Cleaner

A little Japanese made 1950s tin plate and wire ‘electric’ doll house vacuum cleaner, donated to the Museum of Childhood Ireland in 2018. Research is ongoing. As children in Dublin in the 60s, we called our carpet vacuum sweeper by the manufacturing company’s name, the Electrolux, and others called theirs the Hoover, in much the… Continue reading Doll House Vacuum Cleaner

Ann Finegan-Hyland’s Toy furniture and house

My oldest sister had this Lines Brothers, Triang dolls house that we all played with in the 1970s. It had two floors and a red roof. All of the little pieces of furniture were used in the house. We would also play in our living room with the toy furniture, making other houses for our… Continue reading Ann Finegan-Hyland’s Toy furniture and house

Rea’s Matchbox Dressing Table

My mammy and my older sister made the dressing table for us. It was modelled on our Nana’s dressing table in her bedroom. They used matchstick boxes and leftover wallpaper, along with buttons for handles. Cardboard was cut out in the same shape as the mirror and the mirror piece was glued into place. It… Continue reading Rea’s Matchbox Dressing Table

Rose’s 1960s Lines Brothers ‘Triang’ Doll House

This is a two-story metal fronted dolls’ house. It is a Triang Doll house model number 65. The house was given to Rose by her parents at Christmas 1965 or 1966. Her mother Berney recalled buying it in a shop at the top of Roche’s Street in Limerick. The house was almost empty when it… Continue reading Rose’s 1960s Lines Brothers ‘Triang’ Doll House