From interactive exhibits and hands-on workshops to adventure trails and guided tours, the National Museum of Ireland has something for all ages to enjoy this National Heritage Week.
The Museum is once again delighted to participate in this vibrant and engaging initiative by the Heritage Council, celebrating Ireland's cultural, built, and natural heritage from 16 to 24 August 2025.
This year’s theme, 'Exploring Our Foundations', invites us to delve into the building blocks of our heritage; not just the structures, but the landscapes and cultural activities that have shaped us.
Take a look at some of our highlight events and be sure to visit one of our three Museum sites in Dublin and Mayo for National Heritage Week 2025.
HERITAGE WEEK at Collins Barracks
Join us at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks to explore a vibrant programme of free guided tours, interactive trails and family-friendly activities from Saturday 16 to Sunday 24 August for Heritage Week 2025.
Tour Highlights Include:
1. The Way We Wore: Representations of Social Change through Clothing
14:00 | Saturday 16 August | All Ages
Explore the history of clothing in Ireland, and in particular, how clothing can be seen as a representation of social change for women in Ireland. Visitors will explore examples of clothing that highlight how women were expected to dress, how clothing could be used to show status in communities, and how clothing could be a symbol of personal freedom and activism.
2. A Taste of the Past - The History of Food and Drink
15:30 | Saturday 16 August | All Ages
This tour gives a flavour of the wealth of artefacts on display in the Museum that show the continuity and change of food preparation over time and the fascinating insights dining can give us into life, society and culture in Ireland. Discover the many different ways people used dining to express themselves and the hidden stories and values attributed to everyday domestic objects.
3. LGBTQIA+ Tour of Collins Barracks
14:00 | Sunday 17 August | All Ages
This tour views the exhibitions at the National Museum through alternative lenses, bringing some hidden histories and perspectives to the fore, and reveals a wide variety of identities, genders and sexualities along the way. Spanning the establishment of the Barracks itself to Ireland’s passing of the Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015, highlights include the non-conformist chair by world renowned designer and architect Eileen Gray and artefacts belonging to some of the women of Ireland’s revolutionary period.
4. Game, Set, Match: The History of Sports in Irish Society
15:30 | Sunday 17 August | All Ages
From hair hurling balls dating from the 1500s to ladies camogie dresses from the 1960s, join an engaging and interactive tour focuses on the development and evolution of Ireland's societal and sporting past. This tour will explore the development of a variety of sports in Ireland, including Gaelic games, soccer, rugby and horse racing. It will also place the evolution of these sports in a wider societal context, such as the concept of domestic and garrison games, social class, nationalism and independence, and gender.
5. Music Makers in the National Museum's Collection
14:00 | Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 of August | All Ages
Find your rhythm by exploring the instruments on display in the National Museum of Ireland – Collins Barracks. Join a guide on a free public tour of the galleries and learn about the history of Irish music-making throughout the centuries.
6. An Introduction to Collins Barracks featuring Harry Clarke
15:30 | Saturday 23 August | All Ages
This tour focuses on the story of Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) and the lives of soldiers who lived here between 1706 until 1993. Learn about their daily activities, living conditions, drilling and marching practices and experiences going to war. This tour also explores the story of Collins Barracks becoming a Museum, and will introduce students to some of the most fascinating artefacts in the Museum's collection. As part of this tour, visitors will also be brought to the new Harry Clarke’s-Stained Glass exhibition, to learn about one of Ireland’s most famed stained-glass artists.
7. Symbols of Ireland in the National Museum's Collection.
15:30 | Sunday 24 August | All Ages
The harp is one of the most common symbols of Ireland, which we see on everyday objects such as coins, and the shamrock is synonymous with St Patrick’s Day, but did you know that there are lots of other symbols that designers and artists have used over the centuries to express Irish culture and history? This tour explores a range of fascinating Irish symbols through artefacts on display in the Museum. Visitors will learn about the importance of symbolism in shaping and declaring national identity, and how they have been used by social and political organisations to express their ideas of what Ireland is.
All tours start at Reception. No booking required, but places are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Family Trail Adventure:
Pick up a free Activity Book at reception and embark on a self-guided journey through the museum’s galleries. Designed for children aged 9–13 and their families, this trail spans stories from Dublin to Donegal, Aran to Armagh.
Hands-on History: From Barracks to Museum
11:30 | Thursday 21 August | All Ages
Hands-on History: From Barracks to Museum is an interactive handling session with objects from the Museum’s handling collection that tell the story of this imposing structure on the banks of the Liffey and the many people who have populated its long life.
Irish Sigh Language Drop-in at the Dead Zoo Lab
11:00 - 13:00 | Thursday 21 August | Families
Drop into the Discovery Zone in the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks. Bring the family along and join a short activity to learn about animals you might see on your doorstep, today or in the past, and the clues they leave behind.
HERITAGE WEEK at Turlough Park
1. HERITAGE WEEK: Community Constellations for Dark Skies
16:00 - 19:00 | Wednesday 20 August | Adults and Children
Join the Friends of Mayo Dark Skies to celebrate the launch of the Heritage Funded Project, Community Constellations for Dark Skies at the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park. Enjoy live music and participate in a free, drop-in lantern making workshop with Wilderland artist, Tom Meskell, and learn about County Mayo’s progress toward becoming a Dark Sky Reserve!
2. HERITAGE WEEK: A Celebration of Turlough Tales
19:00 - 20:00 | Saturday 23 August | All Ages
Turlough Archaeological and Heritage Society are inviting all to come along to a special evening event called 'Celebration of Turlough Tales' for National Heritage Week. The event takes place from 7pm to 8pm on Saturday 23 August in the Courtyard Workshop Room at the National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
3. HERITAGE WEEK: Traditional Basket Weaving with Ould Crafty
13:00 - 16:00 | Sunday 24 August | Adults and Children
Step back in time with Tom Delaney, known locally as 'Ould Crafty', as he demonstrates the age-old art of basket weaving using locally grown willow. Watch as he transforms natural materials into beautiful, functional baskets using techniques passed down through generations. A rare opportunity to learn about the heritage of rural craftsmanship in Mayo.
4. HERITAGE WEEK: Traditional Wood Crafting with Eoin Reardon
13:00 - 16:00 | Sunday 24 August | Adults and Children
Join Eoin Reardon, skilled woodworker and heritage craft advocate, as he shares his passion for traditional woodworking, from hand tools to heritage joinery techniques. Eoin will showcase the beauty and precision of working with wood the old-fashioned way. This demonstration is a must-see for anyone interested in sustainable craft, local history, or simply the joy of making.
5. HERITAGE WEEK: Museum, House and Gardens Tour
14:00 & 15:30 | Sunday 24 August | All Ages
Journey back in time and marvel at the innovation and endurance of our rural ancestors through the Irish Folklife Collection. Then discover more about the life of the Fitzgerald family and the history and architectural style of Turlough Park House and Gardens.
HERITAGE WEEK at Kildare Street
1. HERITAGE WEEK TOUR: 135th Museum Anniversary Tour with the Royal Irish Academy
10:30 - 12:30 | Friday 22 August | Adults
To mark the 135th anniversary of the opening of the Museum on Kildare Street, join this special tour, with the Royal Irish Academy, and discover the history of both institutions. The Museum opened to the public on the 29 of August 1890, following the Museum and Science Act of 1877. On opening, the archaeological collection from the Royal Irish Academy was moved to the Museum, becoming a cornerstone for the Irish Antiquities Division. On this tour, visit both institutions to discover more about their history and roles in the preservation of artefacts and manuscripts from Irish history.
2. HERITAGE WEEK Drop-In: Raiders, Traders and Settlers! Viking Ireland Handling Workshop
14:00- 16:00 | Wednesday 20 August | Families
Take a look at Viking swords and axes used for raiding, a Viking brass scales for trading, and clothes worn by men and women who lived and settled in Viking Dublin. Take part in some relaxing colouring activities, read through our many books about archaeology, and make sure to explore the Museum's galleries afterwards.
3. HERITAGE WEEK Drop-In: Forge and Rune! Viking Sword Craft Workshop
10.30 - 12:30 | Thursday 21 August | Families
Explore the lives of Viking warriors and their swords at this drop-in workshop. Craft and decorate your own mini paper Viking sword and mark it with a secret message in Viking runes to take home with you. Afterwards, take a visit to the ‘Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe’ exhibition to see the recently conserved Viking sword from the River Shannon, Co. Limerick.
4. HERITAGE WEEK Outreach: Aonach na nDéise - Woodstown Viking Site Heritage Festival, Co. Waterford
Sunday 17 August | All Ages
This Heritage Week, the Education and Outreach Department from NMI – Archaeology will be bringing the Viking Handling Collection down to Waterford to take part in the Áonach na nDéise - Woodstown Viking Heritage Festival. There, they will be joined by Déise Medieval, Waterford City and County Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TVAS Archaeology, and The Discovery Programme, for a fun filled Viking Day!
- BROWSE: Summer Programme of Workshops, Tours & Trails at the National Museum of Ireland
- BROWSE: Late Night at the National Museum of Ireland
- BROWSE: Events marking the Words on the Wave exhibition at Kildare Street
- BROWSE: Don’t miss out – discover a range of extraordinary exhibitions at the National Museum this summer