ireland has this way of connecting you with its land, people, and culture through various history crash courses from either a credible source like a historian or museum…or a drunk man at the pub…

regardless, you will be overwhelmed with facts and knowledge about the history of the land and people you are surrounded by, and its simply beautiful.

what i didn’t anticipate is to learn and experience a life-altering realization at: the irish museum of time…

tick, tick, tick

in a quick synopsis: the irish time museum is, “…located on Greyfriars Street in the heart of Waterford’s Viking Triangle. This refurbished gothic-style church is a fitting home for what is beyond doubt the finest collection of Irish timepieces in the world,”.

the collection in the museum ranges from irish timepieces to other early european timepieces that date back to the mid-sixteenth century along with a display of clocks and watches from Switzerland, England, Germany, France, Italy, etc. in short: if you can think of a timepiece, this museum most likely has it.

it’s clocks. they’re boring and are essentially are big working chunks of wood that could be used as firewood…i get it. i felt the same way walking in, but when you’re in a small city and bored — you kinda just go see for the heck of it and giggles.

that was until i actually took a minute (HA! WAIT, THAT WAS FUNNY AND UNINTENTIONAL) to actually absorb and take in the moment and realize the deeper meaning of what was being displayed to me…

tick, tick, tick

as you walk into this museum you are greeted by museum workers and a faint sound of ticking…it’s a clock museum so you naturally expect it.

you pay your five euros as you enter and are told what to look out for within the museum as you guide yourself through the facility.

NOTE: if you come to look out for, “A highlight of the collection is the London-made William Clement clock from 1663, the earliest example in the world of his innovative mechanism which transformed accurate timepiece-making for subsequent generations,”.

tick, tick, tick

you tune out the ticking within the first few minutes.

while you guide yourself through the converted/refurbished church, you are surrounded by clocks older than you…its honestly quite overwhelming and surprising because these once insignificant family items have survived for hundreds of years — remaining in their (almost) original state, while their original owners cease to exist…

its trippy.

as you spend more time in the museum, you begin to walk and look aimlessly…and walk…and look…

you begin to unconsciously not “care” and instead go through the motions of acting like you’re interested when in reality: you don’t care.

valid. very valid.

tick, tick, tick…

as you get more out of touch, you start dissociating…for me i went into a weird void where i found myself talking to my inner ‘daemon’

i found myself talking to myself about what would be next on the itinerary

what i would eat

when i would finally step out of the building

and why i spent five euros on a self-guided tour about clocks…

i stayed in that void — it felt like an eternity.

tick, tick, tick

i click back in.

i found myself upstairs in the world clock showroom.

i find myself in an out-of-body experience — watching myself mindlessly looking at old clocks…

tick

the ticking becomes more prominent…more noticeable

tick…tick…tick…

i tune back in from my void and find myself overwhelmed by the endless ticking sound around me.

unsynchronized ticking.

panic takes over. i am confused.

i am surrounded by clocks. by ticking sounds. by a faint old wood smell.

where am i?

tick. tick. tick.

the ticking gets louder and my frustration grows.

it suddenly hits.

time is ticking away.

as i mindlessly wandered the refurbished church, ‘looking’ at clocks and their history — time was ticking away.

as i spoke to my ‘daemon’ — time was ticking away

as i wondered what was next on the itinerary (essentially to distract myself from the boring history of clocks) — time was ticking away.

tick. tick. tick.

this museum isn’t about clocks and their history.

this museum is about learning to realize clocks are always around you to remind you life is ticking away.

to remind you that no matter who you are: life is ticking away.

the clocks in the museum to remind you that time is something you don’t have enough of, control of, and appreciation of.

as i wandered aimlessly, not present in the moment: i lost seconds, minutes, and potentially an hour…

as i looked at clocks i failed to recognize that appreciating every moment is the biggest bang for your buck — its not time wasted, its time being utilized.

what i am getting at is that these clocks are on display to remind us of what we don’t have enough of: time.

time ticks away and we don’t recognize it until it’s too late.

time is a human construct. it essentially isn’t real, but at the same time it is…

time dictates all humans…but we don’t even take a moment to

a) appreciate it

b) notice it

c) acknowledge it

even when face-to-face with it.

the museum of time in ireland is more than just a museum. the contents within the museum are neat, and an abnormal history gives you an insight into how time was once dictated…it’s worthwhile.

but its the tick, tick, tick

the out-of-body experience and the internal crisis from the constant ticking sound that makes spending five euros worthwhile…

i didn’t appreciate time

i’m always go, go, go

i fall victim to not appreciating the moment

sometimes i find myself here, but not now…

for five euros — i learned to value and appreciate time

for five euros — i learned that time is constant and will never change for anyone

tick, tick, tick

time moves, with or without you.

learn to appreciate it more. learn to acknowledge it more. learn to do more with it.

because as we die off and go onto our next journey as whatever — the clock and its construct of time will still be here: reminding the next generation to appreciate it, acknowledge it, and wisely use it…

tick. tick. tick.

irish museum of time

Greyfriar’S, Waterford, X91 CF95