Mayo days out: visit the Museum of Country Life - Turlough Park
IF you are planning a day out, the Museum of Country Life - Turlough Park, Castlebar, is a great place to start, with something for all the family.
Here's what's happening at the museum.
Crown Beoir exhibition
There is still time to see Crown beoir - a portrait exhibition originated by artist Breda Mayock and photographed by Orla Sloyan, on display now in the Courtyard Gallery (next to the café) at the Museum of Country Life - Turlough Park.
The exhibition is part of a fascinating Mayo arts project entitled Crown - Hair and Identity. It focuses on Traveller/Mincéiri women and girls and the subject of how hair is intrinsically linked to identity, ethnicity, culture and gender.
Summer on the land
Learn more about traditional farming practices that were such an essential part of the summer months.
June marked the start of the hay-cutting season and was a time for lobster fishing, sheep shearing and turf drying. The Working on Land and Water exhibition on Level C features archival film footage, photography, displays and objects that reflect what life was like on the land in rural Ireland in the 19th and 20th century.
This is part of the permanent exhibitions of the National Folklife Collection.
Midsummer celebrations
Learn more about the ways in which our rural ancestors celebrated the eve of the feast day of St. John the Baptist, which falls on June 23.
Often called Midsummer, as it was close to the summer solstice, celebrations included communal bonfires on hillsides, dancing, courting and sometimes fighting! Families also lit small bonfires on their farm and threw lighted embers onto their fields in an effort to ensure a favourable harvest.
Visit the Life in the Community exhibition on Level C to learn more about this and other traditional festivals and calendar customs in Ireland.
Greenway day out
Combine a visit to the museum with a greenway cycle this summer for a great day out, for all of the family to enjoy.
Start your day out on the shores of Lough Lannagh, Castlebar, and cycle along a 10km, mainly off-road riverside route, leading all the way to the spectacular grounds of Turlough Park. The route passes through scenic countryside and woodland sections, with lots of interesting sites along the way.
Allow one hour to cycle from Castlebar to the museum and 1.5 hours to visit Ireland's National Folklife Collection.
Straw Sister by Maria McKinney
Say hello to Straw Sister this summer - a striking and thought-provoking new artwork on Level C of the exhibition galleries.
The installation was created by Donegal artist Maria McKinney for On Sight - an annual arts project by the NMI and Mayo County Council’s Arts Service, in partnership with the Arts Council with support from Mayo Artsquad.
Straw Sister is a human-sized sculpture crafted from interwoven AI (artificial insemination) straws. It reflects on themes of fertility, traditional crafts and customs, gender roles and modern agricultural practices.
Polish folk art - beliefs, colour and symbols
The museum is delighted to share a pop-up exhibition of Polish folk art on Level B of the exhibition galleries.
Curated by Bardzo Ladnie Foundation, the exhibition is part of a nationwide campaign called Integration Through Culture, which uses selected motifs of Polish culture as starting points for conversation and reflection. The colourful collection of folk art includes examples of ‘The Suffering Christ’ and decorated Polish Easter eggs.
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 and Monday from 1 to 5 p.m.