The Beginnings and Future of the Irish Folklife Collection of the National Museum of Ireland
Roller skates within the Irish Folklife Collection.
The Irish Folklife Division works with all communities, at home and internationally, to explores themes for contemporary collecting.
Clodagh Doyle will tell us about the history of the wonderful collection of folklife material in the Museum of Country Life, National Museum of Ireland, Castlebar. The collections include artefacts relating to all aspects of Irish life in the past – farming, fishing, folk beliefs, customs, work and leisure. The material was originally kept by the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, but in 2001 a new purpose built museum was opened at Turlough House, Castlebar. The history of the collections as well as the material are fascinating. This will be an illustrated lecture, of interest to anyone with an interest in Irish culture, folklore, and social history.
The event is hosted by An Cumann le Béaloideas Eireann/The Folklore of Ireland Society.
Info at Folklore of Ireland Society, c/o Cnuasach Béaloideas Eireann, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4.
Clodagh Doyle has been working with the Irish Folklife Collection of the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) since 1995 and is now based at Turlough Park, the fourth NMI site. She has a degree in Irish Folklore and Archaeology, and her Master’s thesis is on the subject of Traditional Hearth Furniture.
As the longest serving curator she had responsibilities for the Calendar Customs, Religion, Sport & Leisure, Childhood, Textiles, Ceramics & Glass Collections. She worked in the National Museum of Ireland’s Dublin sites and on the inaugural exhibitions at the NMI – Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, Dublin. Ms Doyle played a pivotal role in the inception, development and installation of the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life and the move of the Irish Folklife Collection to its new store and galleries in Mayo in 2001.
She curated many of the permanent gallery displays at the NMI - Country Life and also curated over 30 temporary exhibitions, two of which, Down Memory Lane and Hair Hurling Balls, have travelled throughout Ireland. With a love for folklore, ethnology, objects and the Museum, Ms Doyle was appointed Keeper of the Irish Folklife Division in 2020.
Her chapter, number 18, in the recent RIA publication Irish Food History - A companion is also available free online here.
If our team can be of any assistance, please contact us at learning@nli.ie
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