Families
The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life is an ideal place for a family visit with plenty to see and do. As well as the Museum galleries and 19th Century house, the extensive grounds of Turlough Park feature gardens, woodland walks, a river and lake all overlooked by an ancient Round Tower. The Museum’s café offers a wide variety of seasonal meals and snacks and the Shop boasts an extensive collection of books and crafts with something to suit all pockets.
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. If there are eight or more in your group a guided tour or activity can be pre-booked through the Booking Office.
Activities
The Education & Outreach department offers a range of scheduled activities in the Calendar of Events programme that are suitable for families. Adults and children are encouraged to experience these activities together, which can greatly enhance the experience. Activities developed specifically for children include the Summer Schools and the regular Saturday Club. Many visitors prefer to self guide the Museum and use the Activity & Resource Rooms that are stocked with art materials and computers. A Traditional Games Box is available to borrow during your visit and can be signed out from Reception. For more information on Self Guide resources and the Traditional Games Box please see below.
The Saturday Club
Find out more about what happens in the Museum by taking part in our Saturday Clubs. Each club runs for four weeks for two hours on a Saturday morning or afternoon. Topics include:
Traditional Crafts
Creative Writing
‘Want to be a tour guide…?’
Take a walk on the wild side!
Mask Making
Make a Traditional Cottage
The Saturday Club is aimed at young people aged 8 - 13 years.
Summer Schools
During the summer holidays the Education & Outreach department offer children aged 8 - 13 years the opportunity to learn new skills through hands-on activities. Each summer school runs for four days from Tuesday to Friday at 10:30 to 12:30. Topics include:
Traditional Crafts
Gaelic Script
The Natural Environment
Images to be provided (need to check if any available)
Self Guided Visits
When choosing to self guide the galleries as a family, a visit to the Audio Visual theatre offers background information on the Museum, Folklife collection and the traditional way of life in the past. The film is approximately 20 minutes long and is suitable for all ages. Floorplans in many languages are available at the reception desk along with information on any temporary exhibitions that may be taking place. Exhibits are labelled bi-lingually (English & Irish) and there are information panels to explain the themes of the displays. Interactive technology, video footage and recordings enhance the visitor experience and aid overall understanding of the exhibitions. For more information contact the Bookings Office.
Traditional Games ‘Young and Old come out to play…’
A box of traditional yard and street games with rules and instructions is available to borrow during your visit. Playing games is an ideal way to have fun together as a family. Please ask at reception if you want to borrow the games box or pre-book by contacting the Bookings Office. Alternatively, a one-hour workshop can be arranged for groups of eight or more.