Spring into culture with school workshops at Mayo museum
THE National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park, Castlebar, is inviting teachers and students to engage with culture over the spring term through a great new range of free workshops and tours for primary and post-primary schools.
The programme starts with a return of the popular Bumbly Wings and Crawly Things workshop on Thursday, January 23. There are two sessions available for this fun, biodiversity and art inspired workshop, aimed at fourth to sixth class pupils.
Participants will get an introduction to The Murmur of Bees exhibition at Turlough Park, which looks at the importance of Irish bees in our culture and environment. They will then join artist Cas McCarthy to create their own cardboard insect, which will form part of a wonderful community art installation going on display at the museum this spring.
The next workshop in the programme looks at St. Brigid’s Day traditions and provides students with the opportunity to make their own St. Brigid’s cross with a museum educator.
The St. Brigid’s cross making workshops are available over three days from Tuesday to Thursday, January 28 to 30. The workshops are suitable for fourth, fifth and sixth-class pupils at primary level and also for post-primary level students.
Throughout the spring term, there are seasonal guided tours in the gardens and tours of the National Folklife Collection in the museum galleries, available for primary and post-primary schools on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Guided tours in Irish are available on March 12 and 13.
For Engineers Week, primary level teachers can engage with the Make a Town virtual session on March 6. Students will learn with Makermeet to construct buildings, make roads and paths, cut, colour and create each building and put them into their own classroom town.
In advance of St. Patrick’s Day, the museum is holding a St. Patrick’s badge-making workshop on Thursday, March 13. Participants will learn about the history, customs and traditions associated with St. Patrick’s Day and then have a go at making a traditional St. Patrick’s badge with a museum educator.
There are also some Easter egg decorating workshops for first to sixth class pupils at primary level, on Wednesday and Thursday, April 9 and 10.
All workshops are offered free of charge to schools. Places are limited and booking is required. Visit https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Country-Life for further details, telephone the bookings office on (094) 9031751 or email BookingsCountryLife@museum.ie.