Press Release: First Public Exhibition of Richard Harris Archive in Limerick - The Hunt Museum

Press Release: First Public Exhibition of Richard Harris Archive in Limerick

14 July, 2025

Richard Harris in checkered pants and a t-shirt rides a bicycle on the beach, wearing the crown from the file Camelot. The scene conveys a playful and whimsical tone.

Black and white photo of Richard Harris in normal dress sitting on a bicycle with a crown on his head on a beach at the waterside. Richard Harris Archive, University College Cork.

From ‘Dickie to Richard’ – Richard Harris: Role of a Lifetime
Hunt Museum, Limerick | 4 July – 16 November 2025

Step into the extraordinary life and career of Richard Harris—one of Ireland’s most magnetic and unconventional talents—through a vivid new exhibition at the Hunt Museum featuring never-before-seen materials.

From ‘Dickie to Richard’ – Richard Harris: Role of a Lifetime is the first ever public exhibition of items drawn from the actor’s own collection, including personal letters and annotated scripts to rare photographs, poetry, recordings, and sporting memorabilia.  Role of a Lifetime offers an unprecedented glimpse into the mind and spirit of an artist who captivated audiences across generations.

A collaboration between the Harris Family, the Hunt Museum and University College Cork (UCC), this immersive exhibition draws on the rich treasures of the Harris Archive, donated by the actor’s family to UCC in 2022. It opens on 4th July 2025 and runs until 16th November 2025 at the Hunt Museum in Limerick city, the iconic actor’s birthplace.

Richard Harris in a crown sits on a bicycle at the shoreline, barefoot and wearing a playful expression. They are dressed in a black shirt and checked pants. The scene conveys a whimsical and carefree mood by the sea.
Black and white image of Richard Harris family a smiling couple holding hands behind three children playing in a courtyard. Joyful mood, winter clothing, bare trees.
Profile of Richard Harris with a contemplative expression, captured in black and white. A handwritten note is visible, conveying wishes and support.
A man with glasses, wearing a white outfit, stands on a chair in a vintage-style living room. The scene conveys a playful or eccentric mood.

The exhibition will offer an intimate portrait of Richard Harris, one of Ireland’s most celebrated and charismatic actors, whose career spanned stage, screen, poetry, and music, and provide a rare window into the artistic process and personal reflections of an actor who defied convention and left an indelible mark on global cinema.

Damien, Jared and Jamie Harris, on behalf of the family: “Richard was a prolific writer and kept everything: Poems. Short stories. Scripts. Whether finished or works in progress. This exhibition gives people a sense of the depth and humour behind the public image. It means a lot to us to see it begin here, in Limerick.”

Barry Monahan, Department of Film & Screen Media, University College Cork: “We are delighted that this exhibition is opening its doors in Limerick’s Hunt Museum. It offers the public – fans of Richard, of the arts, and of Irish culture – a wonderful glimpse into the mind and creative energy of this impressive and enigmatic Irishman, and it sheds light on the times and places in which he lived and worked. The exhibition comprises carefully selected artefacts from the larger archive, on which our UCC’s Special Collections and Archives team has been working. We are honoured that this magnificent donation is now housed, protected, preserved, and researched at University College Cork.”

“This exhibition is a homecoming for Richard,” said Teresa Crowley, CEO, Hunt Museum. “It not only honours his extraordinary career but celebrates his Limerick, Munster, and Irish roots, offering the public a unique opportunity to explore his artistic and sporting world in the city where his journey began.”

In addition to the main exhibition, an exciting series of public talks, film screenings, and events will accompany the show throughout its run with full details to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets are now available – Book Now

The Hunt Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of Limerick City & County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, whose generous contribution has helped make this exhibition possible.

ENDS

Media contact

Edwina Gore, Gore Communications, edwina@gorecommunications.ie, 087 6295323

Cairell Ryan, Marketing Manager, Hunt Museum, cairell@huntmuseum.com

About The Hunt Museum

The Hunt Museum exhibits one of Ireland’s greatest private collections of Art and Antiquities, dating from the Neolithic Period to the 20th century. Collected by passionate antiquarians Gertrude and John Hunt, this diverse collection of over 2,500 objects. The museum serves as a cultural hub, featuring a wide range of historical objects, jewellery, decorative arts and works by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Jack. B Yeats. The museum serves as a cultural hub, holding the collection in trust for the people of Limerick and offering visitors a rich exploration of art and history.

About Richard Harris

Richard St. John Harris (1 October, 1930–25 October, 2002) was an Irish actor, writer and musical performer. He appeared with inexhaustible talent on stage and screen, most notably as Frank Machin in This Sporting Life, for which he won Best Actor at The Cannes Film Festival (1963). He was nominated for the Academy Award twice, in 1964 for This Sporting Life and in 1991 for The Field. He won The Golden Globe for his portrayal as King Arthur in the 1968 film Camelot, and later in his life went on to portray the role in the 1981 revival of the stage musical.  In his later career, he played English Bob, a gunfighter, in Clint Eastwood’s Western Unforgiven (1992), Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000), and Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, the latter of which was his final film role.

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