Events
Whatever your age the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life has something of interest for you.
Exhibitions
The permanent exhibitions display a wide variety of objects from the National Folklife Collection. Housed on four floors of the award winning National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, fascinating artefacts give the visitor an insight into domestic life, agriculture, fishing and hunting, clothing and textiles, furniture and fittings, trades and crafts, transport and sports, leisure and religion.
Temporary exhibitions are displayed on Level 0 and Level –1 on a regular basis. Please see the What's On section to see if there are any new exhibitions opening soon.
Public Tours
A general guided tour of the Museum is available each weekday at 12:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 15:30. More frequent tours are available at peak times. For adults there is a charge of €2.00 per person and children go free. The general tour introduces the visitor to the history of Turlough Park House and its surroundings, and rural life in Ireland between 1850 and 1950.
Public Programme
The Education & Outreach department runs activities for all ages and abilities with the aim of promoting enjoyment, interaction, and understanding of the daily lives of our ancestors through the National Folklife Collection. Visitors are offered opportunities to engage with the collection through tours, talks, workshops, demonstrations, performances, lectures, conferences and seminars, adult courses, summer schools and more.
Places on all activities can be booked through the Bookings Office. For more information on the Public Programme at Turlough Park, please see the What's On section. If you would like to join the free mailing service and receive a Calendar of Events four times a year please contact us.
The Schools Programme
Since opening in Autumn 2001, many primary and post primary schools have made repeat visits to the Museum, taking advantage of the wide range of tours, activities, art and craft workshops, science activities, storytelling and other programmes. The Museum’s exhibitions are a valuable resource for both teachers and students.
In 2004 we were awarded a Sandford Award for Heritage Education from the Heritage Education Trust ‘in recognition of the quality education delivered’ at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life.
At the Museum you can:
- Learn through observation of original artefacts
- Investigate how historians work to understand about life, work, culture and society in the past
- Look for evidence using primary resources, through ‘discovery’ learning
- Study history, local history, art, craft and design, art history, religious knowledge, drama, mathematics and science
- Make links across a range of subjects through an integrated and cross-curricular approach to learning
The Schools Programme is published in booklet form each year and is available from 1 September.
If you would like to receive the Schools Programme please join the School Programme mailing list by contacting the Bookings Office.