National Museum offers free school workshops

The National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park, Castlebar, 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.

The next event in the programme is a fun and educational Biodiversity Workshop, taking place on Thursday, April 30, 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.

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 are now available to book online.

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, May 20 and Thursday, May 21. 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.

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 www.museum.ie.