Small wonder..

Curious home of capital's history is transformed

- ERIN McCAFFERTY

IT'S being called LMoD 2.0 - a brand new and improved Little Museum of Dublin. The curious home of the capital's history was officially re-opened yesterday after a multi-million transformation.

From today, visitors can look forward to enjoying an expanded and reimagined exhibition space, a new reception area, a new youth education space, an integrated lift to improve accessibility, a sun-trap patio and an enriched collection of artefacts donated by the people of Ireland.

Since 2011, the Little Museum of Dublin has welcomed over one million visitors.

While works were being carried out on its four-floor Stephens' Green building, it found a temporary home on Pembroke Street Lower for nearly a year. Its quirky collection include's Mary McAleese's first communion rosary beads; an unopened bottle of lemonade from 1918 and the personal archive of 10-time Dublin mayor Alfie Byrne, known as the Shaking Hand of Dublin.

Here, ERIN McCAFFERTY gets a sneak peak of the Little Museum, after its €4.3million renovation and casts an eye over some of the curiosities...

THE first medal ever awarded by the Irish State for bravery went to a docker called Bill Deans in 1947.

Inner-city hero Deans risked his life to save three US sailors on a coal ship docked in Dublin Port.

"The story of his bravery is like a comedy of errors," explains Daryl Hendley Rooney, our tour guide at the Little Museum of Dublin, where the medal now resides.

"There was a gas leak on board the ship. First a sailor went below to check what was wrong, but he passed out due to gas inhalation. He was followed by the boson, who also passed out.

"Finally, the captain, wondering what had become of both men, went below deck, and he too fell unconscious."