A unique selection of antique veterinary objects has gone on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

In the early 2000s, the National Museum of Ireland and the Veterinary Department of Mayo County Council formed a partnership to establish a collection of veterinary objects in the Irish Folklife Collection. Cathal Walsh was Veterinary Officer with Mayo County Council from 1991 until his retirement in 2005. During his time working in Mayo, Cathal, and his colleagues in the Veterinary Department, Cathy Waddell and Cathy Gallagher, established a collection of antique objects dealing with animal husbandry and veterinary science. Those objects were donated to the National Museum, and a selection is now on display.

The display provides visitors with a closer look at the work of vets in Ireland in times gone by.

Upcoming talk on animal care in Ireland
To mark the opening of the new exhibition, the National Museum is hosting a talk with Dr Michael Doherty at 3pm on Saturday, 7 February. The talk will explore the fascinating history of animal care in Ireland and draw on Dr Doherty’s recent research to present ‘The Folklore of Cattle and Sheep through an Ethnoveterinary Lens'. Find out more and reserve a place at the talk.

Antique Veterinary Objects is on display now on Level B of the exhibition galleries at the National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Admission is free and no booking is required.