The museum and grounds are outstanding. Staff very helpful. The major letdown is the cafe “Synge and Byrne” and the staffing, before or after your lovely walk on the grounds, into the glasshouse with all the plants, the grounds around the old house, gardens and lake which leads onto the greenway or your visit into Turlough House or the Museum of country life - a cup of tea and something to eat would not be out of the ordinary. This used to be a brilliant spot where Andrew and his staff had the highest if standards in terms of rapport with the customers and service in terms of food, cleanliness and more. It is a major let down for the museum. Food options basic and not even there on a lot of occasions eg baked potato or salad options. A hit outside selling tea would be as good as what is currently there and I really hope that this can be improved. The change over in staff has been huge in the past year and some incredible people have left who could have brought this cafe to its potential as a local Irish cafe with local Irish produce which it used to have. This is a major tourist spot but also an area for locals to come to. The museum, house and gardens -I highly recommend but I can not recommend the cafe.

We dropped in here on a rainy day in January & have to say it was a revelation, as there was lots to see & explore. The building is set in beautiful grounds & there's easy access to parking. There are many exhibits which are all laid out really well. Several floors of informative & well documented displays cover centuries of Irish country living & history. There are lifts provided if needed & the staff are really welcoming & well informed. There is also a very nice restaurant on site & we had a very good lunch there, lovely food & again with really nice helpful staff. Also, it's part of the National Museum of Ireland entrance is free. Highly recommended whatever the season.

A fantastic resource, for anyone with an interest in the social history of Ireland between 1850-1950s. There are authentic details, for example farm and fishing implements, and the various trades imitation shops. It is free of charge, and a great way to pass a couple of hours on a rainy day. My only quibble is the lack of written information about the various exhibits. It looked like there should have been a glossary chart to name the objects on display, and describe their respective functions, but these were missing throughout.

Museum of Country life is a great place to visit to learn about the culture and daily lives of Irish people in times past. It also serves to remind us of how much life has changed in Ireland in recent decades and centuries. The museum itself is a modern contemporary building on three levels sensitively built into a hill overlooking a small lake beside Turlough House. It is located in a lovely rural location outside Castlebar just off the M.5 and it is also possible to cycle there from Castlebar on the Castlebar Greenway. The museum itself is well designed and you can also visit some ground floor rooms in Turlough House which is in itself a beautiful building. The staff were very helpful and friendly. There is an interesting gift shop and a medium sized cafe which opens to a courtyard with tables. The cafe serves good quality cakes, sandwiches, salads etc. I hadn’t time to explore the grounds, greenhouse and walks around the museum but I would certainly plan to explore them on my next visit. There is also a playground. I travelled with a group of 25 and I would advise that if travelling with a group that you contact the museum in advance just to let them know you are coming. I would highly recommend visiting the Museum and grounds. We spent two and half hours there but it would take longer to fully experience the Museum and its grounds and as it’s a National Museum, there is no admission fee.

We really enjoyed our trip to the museum. The grounds are lovely. The museum has all you could wish to know, set out in a way that it's easy to read and learn a great deal about country life in Ireland. As well as the museum building, we enjoyed a walk in the grounds. There is no charge, but it certainly merits visitors making a donation.

Beautifully curated displays provide unvarnished insight into daily life in rural Ireland. Of particular interest to me were the ways in which straw - a cheap and readily available material - was used to fashion furniture, horse harness, and so much more. Be sure to watch the introductory video "Ordinary Things" before proceeding into the exhibits.Well worth a visit.