Spring is in the air at Turlough Museum

The National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park in Castlebar has unveiled a vibrant new programme of free cultural and heritage events to celebrate the traditional start of spring – which falls on February 1st in the Irish folk calendar.

From St Brigid's cross-making workshops to learning about Ireland's Ice Age landscape, there is something to engage a broad range of ages and interests.

The programme starts on the eve of St Brigid's Day, Saturday next, January 31. Visitors are invited to join Clodagh Doyle, Keeper of the National Folklife Collection, at 12 noon for a special talk on the many traditions associated with the celebration of Ireland's female patron saint. Admission is free but booking is required. See museum.ie for full booking details or telephone 094-9031751.

Also happening on January 31 are some free St Brigid's cross-making workshops led by a Museum educator. The workshops take place at 2pm and 3.30pm and are suitable for all ages. Admission is free and no booking is required. However places may be allocated on a first-come, first served basis during busier periods.

Throughout the coming months, visitors to Turlough Park are invited to meet the impressive Beir Bua – a brown bear on display as part of the ongoing exhibition, The Murmur of Bees. Bears have long been associated with bees and honey and one of the ancient Irish names for a bear is milchobur (honey-lover).

The example on display at Turlough Park is a female bear from Alaska, standing on her hind legs, with long claws outstretched towards the visitor. Visit Beir Bua and learn more about the brown bears that once roamed throughout Ireland but became extinct here thousands of years ago.

On Saturday, February 7, Emeritus Professor Michael Doherty, former Dean and Head of the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, will be at Turlough Park for a special talk from 3pm to 4pm exploring the fascinating topic of animal care and folk cures in Ireland.

The event is in association with Antique Veterinary Objects, an exhibition of selected animal husbandry and veterinary science objects on temporary display in the galleries. Booking is required for the talk with Dr Doherty and full booking details are available from www.museum.ie.

For St Valentine's Day on February 14, Clodagh Doyle will lead another curator's talk - this time looking at the traditions around matchmaking and marriage in Ireland.

The celebration of St Valentine’s Day is a modern construct, but love and marriage customs have traditionally played a significant role in Irish society. Learn more at 2pm on February 14. Admission is free but booking is required via museum.ie.

Younger audiences are invited to join Michael Chambers from Wild Nephin National Park for a special Spring Midterm event titled 'They Walked These Hills Before Us: Ice Age Wildlife', taking place at 3pm on Saturday, February 21.

Participants will learn about the ancient animals that walked our valleys thousands of years ago and discover how our landscape has changed since the end of the last Ice Age. The event is suitable for children aged seven years plus and booking is available on museum.ie.

The Museum is also delighted to share a colourful new exhibition called 'Celtic Tales by Warrior's Hand', which explores stories, symbols and Celtic myth in the Courtyard Gallery (next to the café). The exhibition, which is on display until March 10, has been developed by the Luisne Art Project - a nationally recognised and highly successful arts initiative for people with disabilities, based in Ballinrobe. The participating Luisne artists collaborated on the project with artist facilitator Noreen Lydon and mentors Michael Gannon and Ruby Staunton.

Full details of all upcoming events this spring is available from www.museum.ie.

Admission to the National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park House and Gardens is free. The exhibition galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday to Monday from 1pm to 5pm.