Rediscover the National Museum of Ireland - County Life. . . it is open at Turlough Park seven days a week
The National Museum of Ireland - Country Life is delighted to welcome visitors back to the National Folklife Collection at Turlough Park, Castlebar.
The museum is now open seven days a week with free admission.
The health and safety of visitors is of paramount importance, and as such, the museum has introduced a range of measures to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit.
The museum has also been awarded the Covid-19 Safety Charter mark from Fáilte Ireland, which is designed to give comfort and reassurance to employees and visitors that a tourism business is safe to open.
Crown beoir
Crown beoir is a portrait exhibition originated by artist Breda Mayock and photographed by Orla Sloyan, currently on display in the Courtyard Gallery (next to the café).
This exhibition is part of a fascinating Mayo arts project entitled Crown - Hair and Identity, which focuses on Traveller/Mincéiri women and girls and the subject of how hair is intrinsically linked to identity, ethnicity, culture and gender.
The exhibition name draws from the Traveller language Gammon/Cant, with beoir meaning woman. The portraits in this exhibition quietly explore and celebrate the unique aesthetic expression of Traveller women from Mayo Traveller Support Group.
To learn more about this project, visit www.crowncloseup.ie.
Celebrating Polish culture: Świdermajer Style Architecture
The museum is hosting a small display on Level A of the galleries about the unique 19th century architecture of the town of Otwock in Poland. Curated by Bardzo Ladnie Foundation, the display is part of a nationwide campaign called Integration Through Culture – an educational campaign which uses selected motifs of Polish culture as starting points for conversation and reflection.
The display consists of photographs of Świdermajer villas by Tomasz Brzostek and information panels about the style. Świdermajer Style is unique to the area of Otwock - a summer destination on the outskirts of Warsaw.
It is characterised by light wooden constructions with rich ornamental detail that fit perfectly into the landscape of forested banks and sandy beaches. Combining a local Masovian style with that of Swiss Alps chalets and the cottages of Tsarist Russia, the surprising combination of Świdermajer Style makes these buildings one of the most important elements of the region's heritage.
Celebrating Polish culture: A Forgotten Polish Hero
A panel exhibition about Paul Strzelecki, the Polish humanitarian who helped over 200,000 children during the Great Irish Famine, continues on Level A of the galleries.
Created by the Polish Embassy in Dublin, the exhibition is called A Forgotten Polish Hero of the Great Irish Famine: Paul Strzelecki’s Struggle to Save Thousands.
It is on display as part of a nationwide tour of various venues throughout Ireland. Count Paul (Paweł) Strzelecki was a world renowned Polish explorer and scientist, who volunteered to work in Ireland to combat raging Famine over a three-year period (1847-49) as the main agent of the British Relief Association (B.R.A).
Museum opening hours
Admission to the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park House & Gardens is free.
The exhibition galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday to Monday from 1 to 5 p.m.