Packed programme of cultural events and outdoor activities at Mayo Museum
The National Museum at Turlough Park unveils a wide-range of family-friendly events, exhibitions and cultural activities for the coming weeks
Summer months are going to be busy at the National Museum of Ireland in Castlebar as an exciting programme of free events and outdoor activities has been announced.
Running throughout July and August, the packed schedule includes poetry readings, traditional outdoor games, craft demonstrations, exhibitions and talks celebrating Ireland’s rich cultural heritage.
All events are free to attend, but advance booking can be required for some activities due to limited capacity.
The summer programme begins on Saturday, 4 July, with Catching the Cadence, an afternoon of poetry featuring members of the Turlough Poetry Collective. Poets from across the West of Ireland will read their work with musical support from acclaimed piper Diarmaid Moynihan. The event runs from 2pm to 3pm, and booking is required.
Families and outdoor lovers can look forward to a day celebrating the joy of play on Saturday, 18 July. Visitors can learn the French game of pétanque during a drop-in Boules on the Lawn session hosted by members of Castlebar Pétanque Club from 11am to 1pm.
Later that afternoon,from 2pm to 4pm, Museum educators, in partnership with Mayo Sports Partnership, will revive traditional Irish games including Queenie I O, Snap the Bacon, Red Rover and 5 Slates, encouraging participants to reconnect with games enjoyed by generations of Irish children.
Visitors also have one final opportunity this summer to experience The Murmur of Bees, a popular exhibition exploring Ireland’s native bee species through specimens, artefacts and stories from the National Folklife Collection. Among the exhibition’s biggest attractions is a striking brown bear specimen from the National Museum’s Natural History Collections, which remains on display until September 2026.
National Heritage Week, taking place from 15 to 23 August, will bring even more activity to Turlough Park. On Sunday, 16 August, visitors can enjoy an afternoon of live demonstrations by basketmaker Tom Delaney, woodworker Eoin Reardon and stonemason Dominic Keogh, showcasing traditional crafts and the skills that helped shape rural Irish life.
The Heritage Week programme concludes on Sunday, 23 August, at 3pm with curator Tiernan Gaffney presenting Lámha Ciúine: Ireland’s Quiet Loss of Traditional Skills. The talk will explore the history of Ireland’s craftspeople, the communities they served and the museum’s ongoing work to preserve these traditions for future generations.
Admission to the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park is free. Exhibition galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sundays and Mondays from 1pm to 5pm. Booking information is available on the museum’s website.