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National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Co Mayo
Dates: April – June 2026

From Buttermaking and Biodiversity to an Orienteering Adventure
National Museum in Co. Mayo offers a range of free school workshops and tours this spring.

The National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, is offering an exciting programme of free workshops and tours for schools throughout April, May and June, providing students with opportunities to connect with Ireland’s cultural heritage and natural environment.

Biodiversity Workshop
This fun and educational Biodiversity Workshop takes place on Thursday, 30 April, with sessions available at 10am and 11.30am. Led by Dr Karina Dingerkus alongside the Museum’s Education team, this hands-on workshop explores minibeasts and wildflowers in the beautiful grounds of Turlough Park.
Designed for 3rd to 6th class primary school students, the workshop includes bug hunts and minibeast identification, a wildflower treasure hunt, pollinator observation, and a nature walk with interactive games.
These free sessions can be booked online.

Buttermaking Demonstrations
In May, students can take part in the Museum’s popular Buttermaking Demonstrations, where they will learn about the origins of traditional buttermaking in Ireland, along with the science, history and cultural significance of dairy production. Pupils will also get the chance to churn cream into butter using traditional methods.
These demonstrations take place every Thursday at 10am throughout May, a time of year long associated with buttermaking and traditional beliefs around protecting the churn and dairy yield from the fairies.
Places are free and booking is available online

Orienteering Adventure Days
Also returning in May are the Museum’s hugely popular Orienteering Adventure Days. Suitable for 4th to 6th class students, these sessions introduce participants to basic map reading and navigation skills before they complete trial runs on an orienteering course set throughout the Turlough Park grounds.
There are various sessions available on Wednesday, 20 May and Thursday, 21 May. These workshops are delivered in partnership with ATU Mayo and Mayo Sports Partnership to celebrate World Orienteering Week.
Places are free and booking is available online.

Guided Tours and Nature Tours
In addition, throughout May and June, the Museum is offering free Guided Tours of the National Folklife Collection and Guided Seasonal Nature Tours in the biodiverse parklands of Turlough Park. These tours are available at 10am and 11.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and can be booked online at the links below.
Guided Tour of the National Folklife Collection
Guided Seasonal Nature Tour

Visit museum.ie for further details of all workshops and tours for primary schools at the National Museum in Turlough Park.

National Museum of Ireland
Closing Date: 24 October

The National Museum of Ireland has launched a new Primary School Colouring Competition, inviting pupils across the country to showcase their creativity and imagination.

Inspired by the Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe exhibition, the National Museum of Ireland at Kildare Street have created a range of exciting new colouring sheets. Each of these sheets have been created to mark the opening of the exhibition and have been created in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy and the Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen. Some pages are illustrations from The Irish Art of Calligraphy by Timothy O’Neill (Royal Irish Academy, 2024) and reproduced by permission of the Royal Irish Academy.

To celebrate the new exhibition and colouring sheets, the Museum is running a colouring-in competition for Primary school pupils from 3rd – 6th class. Primary schools are invited to download and use the Words on the Wave colouring sheets

How to enter: 
Download and print out the Words of the Wave colouring sheets

When you have completed your colouring sheets, send the Museum a picture to educationarch@museum.ie or post a photo online through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #MuseumAtHome.

One winning class will be chosen from each category 3rd/4th & 5th/6th Class.

Winners will receive competition winner bags of National Museum of Ireland resources which will also include copies of The Irish Art of Calligraphy, by Timothy O’Neill.

Museum educators will also hold Virtual sessions with the winning classes to celebrate their winning artwork.


!!!! Free Workshops and Tours for Schools at National Museum of Ireland in Mayo

National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Co Mayo
Dates: April – June 2026

From Buttermaking and Biodiversity to an Orienteering Adventure
National Museum in Co. Mayo offers a range of free school workshops and tours this spring.

The National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, is offering an exciting programme of free workshops and tours for schools throughout April, May and June, providing students with opportunities to connect with Ireland’s cultural heritage and natural environment.

Biodiversity Workshop
This fun and educational Biodiversity Workshop takes place on Thursday, 30 April, with sessions available at 10am and 11.30am. Led by Dr Karina Dingerkus alongside the Museum’s Education team, this hands-on workshop explores minibeasts and wildflowers in the beautiful grounds of Turlough Park.
Designed for 3rd to 6th class primary school students, the workshop includes bug hunts and minibeast identification, a wildflower treasure hunt, pollinator observation, and a nature walk with interactive games.
These free sessions can be booked online.

Buttermaking Demonstrations
In May, students can take part in the Museum’s popular Buttermaking Demonstrations, where they will learn about the origins of traditional buttermaking in Ireland, along with the science, history and cultural significance of dairy production. Pupils will also get the chance to churn cream into butter using traditional methods.
These demonstrations take place every Thursday at 10am throughout May, a time of year long associated with buttermaking and traditional beliefs around protecting the churn and dairy yield from the fairies.
Places are free and booking is available online

Orienteering Adventure Days
Also returning in May are the Museum’s hugely popular Orienteering Adventure Days. Suitable for 4th to 6th class students, these sessions introduce participants to basic map reading and navigation skills before they complete trial runs on an orienteering course set throughout the Turlough Park grounds.
There are various sessions available on Wednesday, 20 May and Thursday, 21 May. These workshops are delivered in partnership with ATU Mayo and Mayo Sports Partnership to celebrate World Orienteering Week.
Places are free and booking is available online.

Guided Tours and Nature Tours
In addition, throughout May and June, the Museum is offering free Guided Tours of the National Folklife Collection and Guided Seasonal Nature Tours in the biodiverse parklands of Turlough Park. These tours are available at 10am and 11.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and can be booked online at the links below.
Guided Tour of the National Folklife Collection
Guided Seasonal Nature Tour

Visit museum.ie for further details of all workshops and tours for primary schools at the National Museum in Turlough Park.

!!!! Primary School Colouring Competition with the National Museum of Ireland

National Museum of Ireland
Closing Date: 24 October

The National Museum of Ireland has launched a new Primary School Colouring Competition, inviting pupils across the country to showcase their creativity and imagination.

Inspired by the Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe exhibition, the National Museum of Ireland at Kildare Street have created a range of exciting new colouring sheets. Each of these sheets have been created to mark the opening of the exhibition and have been created in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy and the Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen. Some pages are illustrations from The Irish Art of Calligraphy by Timothy O’Neill (Royal Irish Academy, 2024) and reproduced by permission of the Royal Irish Academy.

To celebrate the new exhibition and colouring sheets, the Museum is running a colouring-in competition for Primary school pupils from 3rd – 6th class. Primary schools are invited to download and use the Words on the Wave colouring sheets

How to enter: 
Download and print out the Words of the Wave colouring sheets

When you have completed your colouring sheets, send the Museum a picture to educationarch@museum.ie or post a photo online through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #MuseumAtHome.

One winning class will be chosen from each category 3rd/4th & 5th/6th Class.

Winners will receive competition winner bags of National Museum of Ireland resources which will also include copies of The Irish Art of Calligraphy, by Timothy O’Neill.

Museum educators will also hold Virtual sessions with the winning classes to celebrate their winning artwork.