Museum of Country Life
| Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann - Saol na Tuaithe | |
Landlord’s old house next to the museum
|
|
 Location within Ireland
|
|
| Established | September 2001 |
|---|---|
| Location | Turlough Park, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°53′01″N 9°12′27″W / 53.883584°N 9.207623°W |
| Type | National museum |
| Visitors | 100,000 |
| Curator | Tony Candon (keeper) |
| Architect | Thomas Newenham Deane, Dublin |
| Public transit access |
Castlebar railway station  Bus Éireann routes: 52, 60, 440, 456 |
| Website | Museum of Country Life website |
| National Museum of Ireland network | |
|
|
The Museum of Country Life is located in Turlough Village, 8 km (5.0 mi) northeast of Castlebar, County Mayo in Ireland. Established in 2001, the museum is part of the National Museum of Ireland and is the only national museum outside of Dublin. The museum exhibits the way of life of rural Irish people between 1850 and 1950, and it is in the grounds of Turlough Park House. There are displays about the home, the natural environment, trades and crafts, communities, and working on the land and water.
Turlough House was designed by Thomas Newenham Deane, who also designed the Kildare Street branch of the National Museum of Ireland. It was built from 1863–1867, and was owned by the Fitzgerald family of Turlough.
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, and the Country Life Museum opened in September, 2001. The upstairs of the house is used as offices by the museum staff, and the downstairs is on show to the public.
The National Museum of Ireland and Museum of Country Life has undergone a decrease in funding from €19m in 2008 to less than €12m in 2014. Although there were tentative plans to close some of the museum branches or initiate an entrance fee, as of 2014, these plans have not gone into effect.
The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions, including:
...
Wikipedia