Events for June 2008

See below for further details on:
Public Programme
Schools Programme
Temporary Exhibitions
Other Events of Interest:
Museum Shop and Cafe Special offers
General Information

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND - COUNTRY LIFE

Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

ADMISSION FREE.

TOUR GROUPS MUST BOOK VISITS IN ADVANCE

For general information - Tel: (094) 90 31755; fax: (094) 90 31628; e-mail: tpark@museum.ie

For bookings: - Tel (094) 90 31751; fax: (094) 90 31498; e-mail: educationtph@museum.ie http://www.museum.ie/

(Booking office hours: Mon-Fri: 10am – 2pm)

PUBLIC PROGRAMME

Letterfrack Furniture Exhibition Competition Final date for entries 31^st May 2008 - In conjunction with the exhibition of gallery seating the National Museum is running a competition to find out your favourite piece of furniture from the exhibition. Entry forms available from Reception or the Bookings Office.

Sunday 8 June: 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Talk. The Role of the Horse on Irish Farms. Age 7+

Horses were the main source of power on our farms well into the 20^th Century and their high quality has been long recognized. Join Dr Mervyn Watson to hear about this topic.

Location: Education Room.

Thursday 19 June: 3.30pm – 4.30pm FULLY BOOKED

Junior Tour. 6 years and under with Adults.

Join Brendan McDonnell of the Education & Outreach Department for an interactive junior gallery tour.

Location. Museum Galleries.

Sunday 22 June: 3.00pm – 4.30pm

Performance. Midsummer Tunes. All Ages

A concert celebrating the themes, tunes and songs associated with St. Johns eve in the company of musicians Emer Mayock, Donal Siggins and friends.

Location. Museum Galleries.

Wednesday 25 June: 3.30pm – 4.30pm

Audio & Talk: Irish Life & Lore Series. Economic War of the 1930’s. Age 7+

Oral history collector Maurice O Keeffe relates the experience of the farming community and the wider population during the economic war making use of audio clippings from the Irish Life and Lore Series.

Location. Museum Galleries.

Friday 27 June: 10.00 – 5.00pm

Courses. Rush Baskets. Adult Booked Out!

Baskets were made in a variety of shapes and sizes for all sorts of uses in the home and in the farm. Join basketmaker Patricia O’Flaherty to make a rush basket.

Location: Education Room

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

Running until October:

Romantic Stitches and Realist Sketches

An exhibition of knitwear and drawings at the National Museum of Ireland

The Museum exhibition shows a range of early 20^th Century Aran knitwear and a series of drawings by Seán Keating RHA which was used to illustrate an early marketing brochure developed by businessman, Pádraig Ó Síocháin in the 1960s & 1970s to promote Aran knitwear worldwide. The exhibition focuses on the unique marketing story of the Aran knitwear as well as highlighting some of the traditions associated with the stitches.

Running until June 2008:

Take A Seat! An exhibition of Gallery Seating by students of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology at Letterfrack

This temporary exhibition is comprised of benches and chairs made in 2006 / 2007 by students of the Furniture Design and Manufacture programme at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology campus in Letterfrack. The students worked from a brief developed by staff of GMIT at Letterfrack and the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life to design seating suitable for the public visiting these exhibition galleries. Further details available from the Education and Outreach Department.

New Exhibition opening 27 June '08

Moylough Belt Shrine: A Medieval Treasure from County Sligo

Objects associated with saints in early Ireland were often preserved after the saint's death and placed in shrines or reliquaries. These containers were often made of precious metals and richly decorated to reflect the importance of their contents. The Moylough Belt Shrine was found in Moylough, Co. Sligo in the 1940s by local man John Towey when he was cutting turf. It consists of four hinged sections made of bronze. These contain fragments of a leather belt. The Shrine was decorated with silver, glass and enamel. The Moylough Belt Shrine dates from the eighth century and is one of the great treasures of medieval Ireland. There are records of belt shrines in medieval Ireland which were used for oath swearing and curing illness. The Moylough Belt Shrine is the only known surviving example of a belt shrine in Ireland.

MUSEUM SHOP AND CAFE

MUSEUM SHOP AND CAFE: EXTENDED OPENING EACH SUNDAY FROM 12PM

Museum Shop: Broad range of specialist books and Museum-branded and handcrafted gifts to suit all budgets. Further details from the Museum Shop: 094 90 31767 or e-mail: shoptp@museum.ie

Museum Cafe: Visit the restaurant at the Museum Café for a wide variety of tasty and seasonal meals and snacks. Enjoy our freshly baked produce and speciality teas and coffees. The perfect complement to your museum visit. For queries and bookings contact the Museum Café: 094 92 89972 / 086 1744076; E-mail:inspired@itso.ie

OTHER EVENTS of INTEREST:

Conference

SPECIAL EVENT - BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW!

Aoine 25u Aibreán 9.30am – 5pm

Comhdháil. Gaeltachtaí Mhaigh Eo: mar atá, mar a bheidh.

Beidh fócas na comhdhála lae seo ar cheantair Ghaeltachta Mhaigh Eo le hiarracht staid na Gaeilge iontu a mheas, mar aon lena bhfuil i ndán di mar theanga labhartha sna ceantair seo.

Friday 25 April: 9.30am-5.00pm

Conference. The Gaeltachtaí of Mayo: as they are, as they will be.

This day conference will focus on the Gaeltacht districts of Mayo in an effort to assess the situation of the Irish language and its prospects of survival in those districts.

For more information and to book contact the Education and Outreach Department. Booking is essential.

Féile na Tuaithe - Turlough Park 2008
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May 2008. Seeking New Participants.
Due to the continued expansion of Féile na Tuaithe - Turlough Park the award-winning National Museum of Ireland - Country Life is looking for skilled crafts people and quality food & organic producers to participate in next year's event. Selection criteria apply. Participants must be members of recognised networks. Further details available from The Marketing Department, National Museum of Ireland - Country Life,
Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Tel: 094 90 31755 or e-mail: tpark@museum.ie

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Visit http://www.museum.ie/ for details of 2007 events. Contact tpark@museum.ie if you would like to join the Museum's mailing list.

MUSEUM OPENING HOURS: Museum: Tuesday-Saturday: 10am - 5pm Sunday: 2-5pm. Closed Mondays (incl. Bank Holiday) Shop and Café: extended opening on Sundays from 12pm-5pm. Museum Cafe serving Sunday Lunch from 12 noon.

The Museum Shop has a broad range of specialist books and Museum-branded and handcrafted gifts to suit all budgets. Further details from the Museum Shop: 094 90 31767 or e-mail: shoptp@museum.ie .

Museum Cafe: Visit the restaurant at the Museum Café for a wide variety of tasty and seasonal meals and snacks. Enjoy our freshly baked produce and speciality teas and coffees. The perfect complement to your museum visit. For queries and bookings contact the Museum Café: 094 92 89972 / 086 1744076; E-mail: inspired@itso.ie

CONTACT DETAILS BOOKINGS: Education and Outreach Dept. Bookings Office (Bookings office hrs: Mon-Fri: 10am - 2pm) Tel: 094 90 31751; Fax: 094 90 31498; e-mail: educationtph@museum.ie GENERAL INFORMATION: Museum Reception: 094 90 31755 MUSEUM CAFé: 094 92 89972 or 086 1744076; e-mail: inspired@itso.ie