National Museum of Ireland – Country Life

National Museum of Ireland – Country Life

Turlough Park, near Castlebar

A visit to National Museum of Ireland – Country Life is a great day out for the whole family, with plenty to see and do for everyone.

Home to the national collection of objects representing the traditional way of life in Ireland since 1850, the National Museum of Country Life is set in modern exhibition galleries in the spectacular grounds of Turlough Park House and surrounded by magnificent gardens and lake. As well as the Museum Galleries and the 19th century Victorian Gothic house, the extensive grounds of Turlough Park feature gardens, woodland walks, a river and lake all overlooked by an ancient round tower.

Exhibitions

The award-winning Museum of Country Life is home to the National Folklife Collection. With exhibitions spread over four floors, the Museum gives its visitors a unique opportunity to see how the people of Ireland lived in the hundred years between the Great Famine and the end of the 1950s. Interactive displays and screens, actual video footage of traditions we are fast losing are featured alongside handcrafted harvest knots, wickerwork, spinning wheels and boats, clothing and artefacts from the islands and hand operated machinery our grandparents used.

Turlough Park House and Gardens

As well as the Museum Galleries, visitors can also explore Turlough Park House, the 19th century Victorian Gothic house, is a moderately sized ‘big house’. It was built in 1865 for the Fitzgerald family to replace a much older building near the entrance to the park. The house boasts 3 floors of living space in the main living quarters. The Drawing Room and Library on the ground floor are open to the public and furnished as they may have looked in 1900.

Turlough Park Gardens is a 30 acre 19th century landscaped garden and makes a perfect destination for a Sunday afternoon stroll amongst gardens, a lake, woodland, and ruins. Keep your eyes peeled for the Glasshouse, Thatched Cottage and a view of the Round Tower.

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday 2pm-5pm

Closed Mondays (including Bank Holidays), Christmas Day and Good Friday

Admission to the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life is FREE.

More information on the National Museum of Ireland website

The National Museum on the map

Turlough Park House, Dublin Road, Gortnafolla, Turlough Electoral Division, Castlebar Municipal District, County Mayo, Connacht, Ireland