
Looking for some activities to do this summer in Mayo? – why not check out this 18th century estate with free outdoor events
The National Museum at Turlough Park is located on a historic 18th century estate and features modern, award-winning galleries, a courtyard café, a woodland playground and 30 acres of biodiverse gardens and parkland.
Here are seven top activities and events for July and August. Find further details on all upcoming events and exhibitions at www.museum.ie.
Boules on the Lawn
Learn about the sport of pétanque – also known as outdoor boules - with the members of Castlebar Pétanque Club from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, 19 July. See a demonstration of this lively and strategic sport – which originated in the early 20th century in France. Then have a go yourself! Admission is free and no booking is required.
Traders on the Reek
Ahead of Reek Sunday at the end of the month, explore an interesting part of the history of this well-known annual pilgrimage date. Come along at 2.30pm on Saturday, 19 July for a special screening of 'Traders on the Reek'. This documentary tells the story of families who have fed and watered many thousands of pilgrims on Croagh Patrick down through the generations. There will also be talks and contributions on the day from some of the families featured in the film. Admission is free. Booking is required. Email BookingsCountryLife@museum.ie or telephone +353 94 90 31751.
Woodland Explorer
Young visitors are invited to explore biodiversity and engage in some mindful nature watching through the free Woodland Explorer activity booklet, available from Museum Reception. The grounds of Turlough Park are home to lots of different habitats with woodland, gardens, lake and river areas. Learn more and use your keen senses and skills to complete a series of fun nature challenges to finish this self-guided trail!
Orienteering
Did you know you can give orienteering a try in the grounds of Turlough Park? Go to Museum Reception to pick up a map of the newly developed orienteering routes. There are five maps to choose from. Then download the app to enjoy a fun, family friendly orienteering activity through 30-acres of gardens, woodland and parkland.
Free guided tours
Discover objects and stories that are both familiar and surprising from the National Folklife Collection at Turlough Park. Join a free guided tour to learn about life in the Irish countryside from the 1850s to 1950s, exploring fascinating traditions, customs and skills. Then hear more about the Fitzgerald family and the history and architectural style of Turlough Park House and Gardens. Free public tours take place at 2pm and 3.30pm each Saturday throughout the summer months. No booking required. Places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Heritage Week
The Museum will once again be participating in National Heritage Week, with a programme of free events celebrating Ireland's cultural, built and natural heritage between 16 and 24 August. One of this year's highlight events is a traditional skills demonstration featuring the well-known woodworker and influencer Eoin Reardon and skilled basketmaker Tom Delaney of 'Ould Crafty'. This event takes place on Sunday, 24 August. Be sure to follow the National Museum on social media for further details as they are announced.
SWARM
Pencil in a stop at the Courtyard Gallery during your visit to see a vibrant children's art installation inspired by Ireland's bee species. Combining colour, movement and shadow, SWARM was created by school children across counties Mayo, Sligo and Galway, working with artist Cas McCarthy. The project took place in association with the popular exhibition The Murmur of Bees, which remains on display this summer in the exhibition galleries.
ADVERTISEMENT
The National Museum in Turlough Park, Co. Mayo is located within a historic 18th century estate and features Ireland's National Folklife Collection. Objects, archive film and photography present a tapestry of daily life from the 1850s to the 1950s.
From country and village to town and city, these stories of the everyday are both familiar and surprising. The visitor experience includes 30-acres of gardens and parkland, scenic walkways along the river and lake, a woodland playground, the Greenway cycling route, the courtyard café and a book and craft shop.
Everyone is welcome and admission is free
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Taoiseach accuses Pearse Doherty of ‘asserting falsehoods' over claim Japan flight rebooked for hurling semi-final
Micheál Martin accused Pearse Doherty TD of "asserting falsehoods" and "poor politics" when he made the suggestion, based on media reports. He also said there was no additional cost from a late decision to fly east, via Toronto, rather than west, via Dubai. But the Taoiseach then said the final costs "haven't been reconciled," but would be published in due course on his Department's website. The story was "unequivocally and categorically" wrong, he said, because the Cork v Dublin All-Ireland hurling semi-final was due to begin at 5pm. One flight would have landed him back in the capital at 8am and the other at noon, so he was going to see the match in either case, he said. He indeed attended Croke Park to see his native county's famous win. The Finance committee was discussing revised estimates when Mr Doherty said: "Your travel made the media recently. You returned from a trip to Japan, and you rebooked that trip home through Toronto. "It is suggested that that was on the basis of security advice. Can you explain, if that is the case, why you didn't share the security advice with any of the media corps who were travelling, in relation to their security?" Mr Martin replied: "It's a nonsense story. It is important that the context is made very clear. The story is suggesting there was a rescheduling to do with the match. There wasn't. "The alternative would have had me in at 12 o'clock. The way I went, I came in at eight. I had nothing to do with it. I don't book the travel. "And in terms of the security at the time, these were booked a week in advance. And in the Middle East there are issues, as we all know. It was a precautionary approach." Mr Doherty asked him to explain why, if it was security advice that avoided the risk of flying through Dubai, he had not shared that information "with other Irish citizens who were accompanying you on the trip." Mr Martin said: "Two things. First of all, there wasn't additional cost as a result of that, to my knowledge. I don't get into the minutiae of the routes. "Anybody who's a journalist sent out by their media organisation, they take their own advices. They organise their own travel and so forth. "The people who were organising on my behalf took a view that the Middle East was problematic in terms of cancelations and in terms of activity. "That's what I've been told." Mr Doherty said it was "a bit bizarre", saying the Taoiseach had suggested it was "more about [onward flight] cancellation, as opposed to anything personally happening yourself." Instead of "an abundance of caution," he said the Taoiseach "flew through Toronto because there was a risk of cancelation, and therefore you would miss the match." Mr Martin said the assertion was wrong. "I just want to unequivocally say to you, and categorically -- like the truth does matter on these matters - this had nothing to do with the match. "The match was on at five o'clock that day. So either route would have got me in at eight or 12. "This has nothing to do with budget spending, it's just political. That's what you're at, and it's regrettable." Mr Martin said that the switch was "to mitigate any risk of flight cancelations," Mr Doherty said. "You would have missed the match. That is simple fact, because the security situation already had resulted in extensive Middle East airspace being closed in the days prior to this being booked." Mr Martin snapped: "You're not asking a question. You're asserting falsehoods. And you don't want to allow a reasonable, rational explanation to be given."


The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
GAA Palestine ‘disappointed' but ‘not giving up hope' as trip to Ireland in disarray after visa applications rejected
GAA PALESTINE is "disappointed" but "not giving up hope" after applications for visas to travel to Ireland were rejected. Forty-seven members of the association - Advertisement The group was due to go from the West Bank to Jordan on July 16 before flying from there to Ireland on July 18 for the tour that would run until August 1. However, that plan has been left in disarray after visa applications for the trip were rejected by the Irish Immigration Service In a letter from the Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv to GAA Palestine - seen by the Irish Sun - it was claimed that the applications had been rejected due to insufficient documentation. Amongst the documentation alleged to be missing is an itinerary, including what GAA clubs will be visited. Advertisement Read More on GAA This has been denied by GAA Palestine, who have insisted that said itinerary was provided alongside their application. The letter also claimed that, while the Embassy received "evidence of donations" towards the trip, "it is not clear whom has access to these donations of what they will be used for". This was also denied by GAA Palestine, who insisted that the There is also said to be insufficient documentation pertaining to accommodation. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football The latter claims that, while "an accommodation list has been submitted", insufficient evidence has been provided "as to whom these individuals are and no identification documents have been provided for them". Also supposedly lacking are "invitation letters" from host families and Garda vetting certificates for the same. Palestine GAA players watch camogie match on laptop GAA Palestine attested that the need for such information had not been communicated to them. GAA Palestine also said that they were not informed of the need to provide Garda vetting until the applications were rejected on Wednesday. Advertisement There is also allegedly insufficient documentation pertaining to consent from the parents of the kids to attend the trip and that "signatures on the consent form submitted cannot be verified". GAA Palestine insist that the aforementioned consent had been provided. The ID of the parents are also claimed to have come without "notarised translation." The letter adds: "The Visa Officer will only consider evidence that is in the English or Irish Language or evidence which includes a certified translation". Advertisement The birth certificate provided have also been deemed to be insufficient as "it has not been attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." The letter also claims "insufficient evidence submitted of strong obligations to return to your home country". According to GAA Palestine, the need for translations had not been communicated to them. As for the need for evidence of intention to return to the West Bank, it was stressed that flight plans - including return flights - had been included in the applications. Advertisement In a statement to social media, the association said: "Our Irish visa applications for the GAA Palestine summer tour have been refused by the Irish Immigration Service. "To say that we are deeply disappointed is an understatement. "Our hearts right now are with the 33 young hurlers & 14 mentors who are so looking forward to being welcomed to Ireland next week. "Against all odds, we're doing all we can to make this tour happen. We're not giving up hope." Advertisement GAA Palestine is considering their options as to whether to appeal the decision or postpone the tour until a later date. DEPARTMENT STATEMENT The Irish Sun contacted the Department for Justice inquiring as to the extend to which it had been in contact with GAA Palestine and the Embassy relating to the tour and associated visa requirements. A spokesperson said: "Each visa application is decided on its own merits. "Confirming that appropriate child protection requirements are in place is essential when considering visa applications for minors. Advertisement "This includes a requirement that a child is travelling with their parents or an appropriate guardian, which requires additional documents to be verified such as birth certificates and consent letters. "In adult cases, evidence of financial means, employment or other ties that indicate a person intends to return home are important criteria. "These help to establish that a person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland, and that they will comply with the conditions of a short-term visa. "An application will be refused if it cannot demonstrate compliance with such conditions. Advertisement "An appeals process is available to anyone who has a visa application refused." 1 GAA Palestine's plan to travel to Ireland is in doubt after visa applications were rejected


Sunday World
8 hours ago
- Sunday World
Visas for 46 Palestinians denied by Irish Immigration Service ahead of upcoming GAA tour
Group included 33 children aged between 9 and 16 GAA Palestine Chair, Stephen Redmond and other adult is a Coach from Moataz Sarsour Club in Al Am'ari Camp, named Mohammad GAA Palestine has been told that the visas for 46 Palestinians planning to travel to Ireland - including 33 children aged between nine and 16 – have been denied by the Irish Immigration Service. The group of Palestinians were scheduled to tour Ireland from July 18 to August 1. The tour was set to see Irish and Palestinian children engage in friendly hurling matches across Ireland, showing children from the war-torn area the most important GAA sites in Ireland. International Spokesperson for GAA Palestine and Clare woman, Claire Liddy, told the Irish Independent that officials in the Irish Immigration Service claimed they have not received the correct documentation from the group. 'They said that they don't have the documentation… we've sent them the documentation multiple times,' Ms Liddy said. 'I have screenshots [of sending the documentation], because you can't get a receipt [from the website]. They have added new documents that we were never ever asked for, ever. They sat on this. 'This is being done purposefully, we know of several other groups [that it has also happened to]. This is being done to stop Palestinians from coming to Ireland – children. Palestinian children at hurling training with GAA Palestine. Image: Claire Liddy 'I am absolutely furious. We have been chasing them for weeks… Why would Tel Aviv send the file to Ireland if they didn't have all the documents? They said they didn't have a detailed itinerary; I sent them three pages of an itinerary. We sent them everything that they asked for. They said that they needed Garda vetting – they had never asked for that. 'I am livid. We will be going further with this.' The news comes after the group launched a large media campaign to get the visas issued in time for the 46-person trip. Ms Liddy said applications for the 46 visas were put in back in May, with the usual waiting period for a visa between Ireland and Tel Aviv being four weeks. GAA Palestine Chair, Stephen Redmond and other adult is a Coach from Moataz Sarsour Club in Al Am'ari Camp, named Mohammad After eight weeks of waiting, the group had to cancel the trip they had planned to Derry and Belfast as the visa application to the North of Ireland needed proof of a successful visa to the Republic of Ireland. Now, it is unlikely the group will be able to travel at all. In a statement on GAA Palestine's Instagram, the group said they are 'deeply disappointed' but 'not giving up hope'. GAA Palestine has been encouraging the public to write to their local TDs and other government representatives to allow these 46 Palestinians to complete the tour they have been 'dreaming' of. GAA Palestine volunteers from across Ireland and the West Bank Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 9th