Opening of The Explorers Museum took place during a gala weekend in Ireland Sept. 6 & 7, 2014 at several locations steeped in history and Irish lore. Charleville Castle even has a resident ghost. The castle, located near Tullamore in the county of Offaly, is site of the new Explorers Museum which will house exhibitions and serve as a base to launch global expeditions. The first Explorers Museum Film Festival and first in a series of Fireside Chats were held at the castle on Sunday, Sept. 7. The gala dinner was held on Saturday, Sept. 6 at the magnificent Belvedere House and Gardens. Both places were lived in by Colonel Charles Howard-Bury in the 1920s who mounted an expedition to Mt. Everest and was a noted explorer and amateur botanist. His interest in botany is evidenced in the exquisite gardens of Belvedere House. A small museum dedicated to Charles Howard-Bury is housed in the Greville Arms in the nearby town of Mullingar and offers a local pub to hoist a beer or an Irish whiskey!