National Museum of Ireland – Country Life
| National Museum of Ireland – Country Life Irish: Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann – Saol na Tuaithe | |
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County Mayo | |
|---|---|
 Landlord's old house next to the museum | |
| Type: | museum |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | M20659334 |
| Location: | 53°53’1"N, 9°12’27"W |
| Town: | Turlough |
| History | |
| Address: | Turlough Park |
| By: | Thomas Newenham Deane |
| museum | |
| Information | |
| Website: | museum.ie |
The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life stands in the grounds of Turlough Park House, in the village of Turlough, five miles north-east of Castlebar, County Mayo.
The museum was established in 2001 as part of the National Museum of Ireland, and is the only branch of this museum outside Dublin.[1]
The museum exhibits the way of life of rural Irish people between 1850 and 1950. There are displays about the home, the natural environment, trades and crafts, communities, and working on the land and water.
History
Turlough House
The current Turlough House was designed by Thomas Newenham Deane, who also designed the Kildare Street branch of the National Museum of Ireland.[1] It was built from 1863 to 1867, and was owned by the Fitzgerald family of Turlough.[2]
Museum
In 1991, the house and 36 acres were purchased by the Mayo County Council. The house was renovated and an adjacent museum building was constructed in the slope of a hill above a pond. The Country Life Museum opened in September 2001.[1] The upstairs of the original house is used as offices by the museum's small staff, and the downstairs is on show to the public.
Gardens
The original gardens of Turlough House are now maintained by the Office of Public Works and the local authority. They include a vinery, a special type of greenhouse for grapevines and other fruiting plants, a number of walks, terraces and a sunken garden, the ruins of the original house (occupied 1722-1786) and a section of the Castlebar River, with an artificial lake with islands, and a round tower.[3]
Collection and exhibitions
The National Folklife collection is extensive, and only part of it is at Turlough Park, some parts being in storage in Dingle, for example.
The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions, arranged on a thematic basis over two floors.
Facilities
The museum has its own parking, a shop and a café.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Fears for future of Turlough museum". 9 September 2014. http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20607:fears-for-future-of-turlough-museum&catid=23:news&Itemid=46. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ↑ "Turlough Park, Turlough, County Mayo: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage". http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=MA®no=31307009. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ↑ "National Museum of Ireland - Country Life - Visitor information - Things to see and do - Explore the grounds". https://www.museum.ie/Country-Life/Visitor-Information/Things-to-See-Do/Explore-the-Grounds-of-Turlough-Park-House. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
| National Museum of Ireland |
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Archaeology • Country Life • Decorative Arts and History • Natural History |