National Museum of Ireland - Country Life
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life
4.5
13:00 - 17:00
Monday
13:00 - 17:00
Tuesday
10:00 - 17:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 17:00
Thursday
10:00 - 17:00
Friday
10:00 - 17:00
Saturday
10:00 - 17:00
Sunday
13:00 - 17:00
About
This award-winning Museum is home to the National Folklife Collection which represents traditional life in Ireland throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Fascinating artefacts deal with domestic life, agriculture, fishing and hunting, clothing and textiles, furniture and fittings, trades and crafts, transport, sports and leisure and religion. Set in the spectacular grounds of Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo the Museum treats visitors to a taste of how our ancestors lived their daily lives, in both difficult and joyful times. The excellent ‘hands-on’ public programmes which run throughout the year, consist of art and craft workshops, demonstrations and performances and runs alongside the exciting programme of temporary exhibitions which are ongoing throughout the year. Opening Times: The Museum opening hours are: 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. Shop & Café open.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- John G58 contributionsOrdinary things in an extraordinary settingBeautifully curated displays provide unvarnished insight into daily life in rural Ireland. Of particular interest to me were the ways in which straw - a cheap and readily available material - was used to fashion furniture, horse harness, and so much more. Be sure to watch the introductory video "Ordinary Things" before proceeding into the exhibits.Well worth a visit.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 5 October 2023
- Ann W25 contributionsWell worth a visitA really interesting place in a lovely setting. How wise that memories and artefacts have been gathered, before the opportunity was lost, to commemorate a way of life that has now been superseded. Everything is beautifully displayed with informative text.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 May 2024
- Stephen WDublin, Ireland24 contributionsGreat day outVisited the museum twice in the month. Loved the friendly staff and really interesting gift shop. The museum was really interactive with activities for kids. The grounds are beautiful and the playground is quite unique, although can get a little muddy in the wet.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 29 July 2024
- Aline35 contributionsFantastic Museum - loved itWe had a wonderful experience here last week. Our five year old daughter enjoyed it thoroughly. All of the work sheets for children of various ages were brilliant. She is still talking about the knitted mice. We inquired at the end about the sheets as they made such a difference to our experience. It is so valuable to engage families and this worked a treat. A huge thank you to Martina who I believe created these. Incredible. I love how they were in multiple locations too as no doubt people miss them on entry. We also enjoyed seeing such a diverse range of objects and details of country life. Winnie the Pooh inclusion was great too!! When we were leaving there were two elderly couples walking in. We gave them directions and assured them they would love it. I did wonder if it was possible to drive closer to the museum building for those challenged walking. Cafe and shop were lovely. We enjoyed the gardens and the playground. Such a lovely day out. Hope to bring my 82 year old Dad. Thank you very much. This is certainly a highlight of our trip West last week.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 4 August 2024
- Patricia S14 contributionsFantastic visitDefinitely worth a visit. We learned so much here. They had an exhibit on bees and their importance in Ireland. Take time to read all the exhibit notes to really gain insight into early Irish lifeVisited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 20 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
813 reviews
Excellent
581
Very good
190
Average
30
Poor
7
Terrible
5
Danielle
Galway, Ireland15 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
My friends enjoyed it.
I felt it could was ok, but could be improved.
I personally preferred the museum. But, it is nice. Grounds are lovely staff in the shop could not have been mote helpful.
However, I would not recommend the food in the restaurant drinks were extremely over priced.
The waitress serving seemed very clueless. Walking around with plates of food to the wrong tables on numerous occasions although the tables had been given numbers when they paid.
The food itself was very poor my friend got the Guinness pie it didn’t look appetizing at all. I myself got the quiche & I would not recommend that either.
There was 5 of us & only one enjoyed their food. They went off menu & ordered sausage & chips.
I felt it could was ok, but could be improved.
I personally preferred the museum. But, it is nice. Grounds are lovely staff in the shop could not have been mote helpful.
However, I would not recommend the food in the restaurant drinks were extremely over priced.
The waitress serving seemed very clueless. Walking around with plates of food to the wrong tables on numerous occasions although the tables had been given numbers when they paid.
The food itself was very poor my friend got the Guinness pie it didn’t look appetizing at all. I myself got the quiche & I would not recommend that either.
There was 5 of us & only one enjoyed their food. They went off menu & ordered sausage & chips.
Written 18 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Betty
Castlebar, Ireland2 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
Lovely museum, beautiful grounds. Museum staff are so friendly, lovely little gift shop with friendly staff. Avoid the cafe, very expensive for what you get and the woman who seemed to be in charge very abrasive to young staff, not what you want to see while out with young children.
Written 12 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott A
Queensland, Australia51 contributions
Dec 2019
We loved this museum's clever way of presenting history in displays ( + a short film). Great place to wander about AND learn so much about what life was like for rural people. Big thanks to the designers/curators.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elsie l
9 contributions
Sept 2022
Visited in September so there were a few primary school tours there but it was still easy to manage. There is the old house ,with 2 rooms open to the public ,a tunnel of flowers , a small thatched cottage ,a cafe with plenty of seating ,toilets & the museum itself. In the museum there is a video room giving a short history & 4 floors of exhibits of items incorporated into countrylife in the 18-19hundreds. The floors are accessible by stairs & lift & a lovely variety of items on display all with information. The cafe has a nice array of good food at a reasonable price ( everything else is free). There are also some great walks & sculptures at intervals -all well signposted. An enjoyable way to pass 1-2 hours.
Written 28 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marion J
336 contributions
Nov 2019
Amazing interpretation of rural life over the last few hundred years with lifelike dioramas of kitchen school house etc. all set in the most beautiful grounds. A real must do. Fab cafe too. One of the best lunches we had in 3 weeks - fresh and local.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard J
London, UK1,773 contributions
Sept 2021
Rain was forecast and having visited years ago thought we would go again. (Rain didn't come) Due to Covid you had to book online and we arrived an hour early but the friendly helpful lady on reception allowed us entry anyway. The bonus was that the museum housed over several levels in a new modern concrete block ( It was in the house before) was virtually empty. We could take our time and listen to the very interesting audio presentations covering every aspect of Irish country life, often in the words and voices of the people who actually experienced life in rural Ireland. The presentation was free from gloss and blarney and gave you a true picture of the areas covered. The exhibits had been carefully chosen to bring the subjects alive and were not just dusty relics. Really enjoyed the experience and would go again regardless of the weather. The house was closed. There is a shop with some interesting books on sale. The Cafe sadly was closed on the day we visted. Plenty of parking and attractive well maintained gardens.
Written 7 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie O
31 contributions
Oct 2021
This Museum of Country Life tells the story of rural Ireland through photos, illustrations, video, audio and artifacts in a compelling way. The exhibits are well thought out and flow from one to the next. The one criticism is that Traditional Irish music, it’s instruments and culture, are not represented.
Outdoors, there are wooded paths with magnificent trees, a conservatory, lovely lake with swans and a mansion of former property owner.
Very family-friendly..free admission and parking.
Outdoors, there are wooded paths with magnificent trees, a conservatory, lovely lake with swans and a mansion of former property owner.
Very family-friendly..free admission and parking.
Written 31 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ana L
Navan, Ireland2,682 contributions
Jul 2020
Very good museum, ideal place to take the kids. The museum focuses on the Irish country life, and is very well organized. At the moment, due to Covid-19, the house is not open, but the whole museum is open, and the grounds are also free to roam. Excellent spot for a picnic. Allow yourself around 2 h in the museum, depending on your interest. Free admission.
Written 23 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pádraig Dinan
Ennis, Ireland1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Family
A collection of items started by the Irish government in the 1930s to preserve the ways of the past from being swept away by the flow of time.
From the traditional islander outfits made by the people of Aran and the equipment they used for fishing, to the pots and pans where the meals were prepared after a day spent farming.
This credit to Irelands past generations is worth a visit for all ages, especially due to the free admission.
From the traditional islander outfits made by the people of Aran and the equipment they used for fishing, to the pots and pans where the meals were prepared after a day spent farming.
This credit to Irelands past generations is worth a visit for all ages, especially due to the free admission.
Written 24 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sean F
Limerick, Ireland344 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
This museum was excellent.It gave a great look back over the centuries at our Irish history and heritage.I would recommend it highly.All the exhibits are well laid out and explained.The harsh reality of life in Ireland is there to be seen.
There are lovely grounds for a walk and a nice playground for children.
There are lovely grounds for a walk and a nice playground for children.
Written 1 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are staying in castlebar over easter, will the museum be open? If so what will be the opening times
Written 25 February 2018
Museum is open 10am-5pm Tuesday - Saturday and open on Sunday 2pm - 5pm. It will be closed Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Written 25 February 2018
NMIreland I
Dublin, Ireland
Admission is free for all four sites of the National Museum of Ireland. Check out our website for more information.
Written 3 October 2017
Is this a good place for young children please?
Written 11 April 2017
Yes it is interesting to a wide age range but some of the exhibits are of particular interest even to small children. Also the grounds are lovely and they can run around
Written 20 April 2017
Looking at a brochure I have from here the hours are listed as Tuesday - Saturday 10:00AM - 5:00PM; Sunday 2:00PM - 5:00PM; Closed on Mondays. I recommend either checking their website or contact them directly to confirm the current hours.
Written 10 April 2017
NMIreland I
Dublin, Ireland
Hi, there are no scheduled booking tours but if you would like to organize / prebook a tour visit 'Tours, Floor Plans & Guide Books' in the 'Visitor Information' section of the Country Life page of our website. Looking forward to your visit.
Written 20 October 2015
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