EPIC Irish Emigration Museum Gains Global Audience as Bloomberg TV Documentary Showcases Dublin's Diaspora Story
The EPIC Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin's Docklands has gained significant international exposure through the documentary series World's Greatest! on Bloomberg Television, bringing the stories of the Irish diaspora to a global business and cultural audience. The museum, which chronicles the journeys of Irish emigrants across five centuries and explores the impact of the Irish diaspora on the world, has seen a surge in international visitor inquiries following the broadcast, with particular interest from the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Background
The EPIC Irish Emigration Museum, which opened in 2016 in the CHQ Building in Dublin's Docklands, has established itself as one of the most innovative and engaging cultural attractions in Ireland. The museum tells the story of Irish emigration — from the Famine migrations of the nineteenth century to the contemporary Irish diaspora — through a combination of interactive exhibits, personal stories, and archival material that brings the experience of emigration to life in a way that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating.
The museum's approach is distinctive: rather than presenting emigration as a story of loss and hardship, it celebrates the achievements of the Irish diaspora and the extraordinary impact that Irish emigrants and their descendants have had on the world. From the presidents and prime ministers who have claimed Irish heritage to the scientists, artists, writers, and entrepreneurs who have shaped the cultures and economies of their adopted countries, the museum tells a story of resilience, creativity, and global connection that is genuinely inspiring.
The Irish diaspora is one of the largest in the world, with an estimated 70 million people of Irish descent living outside Ireland. The museum's mission — to preserve and celebrate the stories of that diaspora — is therefore a mission of global significance, and the Bloomberg Television documentary has provided an opportunity to bring that mission to a new and influential audience.
Key Developments
The Bloomberg Television documentary, which is part of the World's Greatest! series that profiles exceptional cultural and business institutions from around the world, featured the EPIC museum as one of its subjects in July 2026. The documentary highlighted the museum's innovative approach to storytelling, its use of technology to create immersive experiences, and its role as a hub for the global Irish community.
The broadcast has generated significant interest in the museum from international visitors, with the museum's website reporting a substantial increase in traffic from the United States, Australia, and Canada in the days following the broadcast. The museum has also received a number of enquiries from Irish diaspora organisations in these countries about the possibility of partnerships and collaborative projects.
The Bloomberg Television audience — which is primarily composed of business leaders, investors, and policy makers — is a particularly valuable one for the museum, as it includes many people who have the resources and the interest to support the museum's mission and to visit Ireland. The documentary has also generated interest from Irish-American organisations in the United States, which are marking the 250th anniversary of American independence with a series of events that celebrate the Irish contribution to American history and culture.
The museum's director has welcomed the international exposure provided by the Bloomberg documentary and has indicated that the museum is exploring a range of opportunities to build on the interest it has generated. These include the development of new digital content that can be accessed by members of the diaspora who are unable to visit Dublin in person, and the expansion of the museum's partnerships with Irish diaspora organisations around the world.
Why It Matters
The EPIC museum's international exposure matters because it reflects the growing recognition of the Irish diaspora as a cultural and economic asset of global significance. The museum's mission — to preserve and celebrate the stories of Irish emigrants and their descendants — is a mission that resonates with the 70 million people of Irish descent who live outside Ireland, and the Bloomberg documentary has brought that mission to the attention of a new and influential audience. The museum is also an important part of Ireland's soft power — its ability to project a positive image of the country and its culture to the world — and the international exposure it has received is a reminder of the value of investing in cultural institutions that tell Ireland's story to a global audience.
Local Impact
The EPIC museum is located in the CHQ Building in Dublin's Docklands, one of the most economically dynamic areas of the city. The museum is a significant contributor to the cultural and tourism economy of the Docklands, attracting visitors from across Ireland and internationally who spend money in the area's restaurants, cafés, and shops. The surge in international visitor inquiries following the Bloomberg documentary is expected to translate into increased visitor numbers in the coming months, providing a boost to the museum and to the wider Docklands economy. The museum is also an important employer in the area, and its continued growth and success is good news for the local community.
What's Next
The EPIC museum is expected to publish a new digital strategy in the autumn, which will outline its plans for expanding its online presence and developing new digital content for the global Irish diaspora. The museum is also in discussions with a number of Irish diaspora organisations about the possibility of collaborative projects that would bring the museum's content to communities around the world. The Bloomberg documentary is expected to be broadcast in additional markets in the coming months, further extending the museum's international reach. A new exhibition on the contemporary Irish diaspora — focusing on the experiences of Irish emigrants in the twenty-first century — is planned for 2027.
