With a wide range of free curriculum-linked tours, workshops and learning experiences for primary and post-primary students, there has never been a better time to plan a school visit. This season features exciting new programmes including Ireland and the Normans, Fact or Fiction?, Museum Changemakers, Éire to EU: European Connections through the Museum's Collections, and innovative STEM-focused workshops at Turlough Park.
Transition Year students can also take part in dedicated programmes exploring archaeology, Irish identity, active citizenship, sustainability and 10,000 years of Irish history through hands-on engagement with the Museum's extraordinary collections.
Book now and inspire curiosity in your classroom:
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What's on for Primary Schools at the National Museum of Ireland
- What's on for Post Primary Schools at the National Museum of Ireland
Highlights for PRIMARY LEVEL include:
NEW GUIDED TOUR: Fact or Fiction? Interactive Tour
Tuesday – Thursday throughout School Term
(National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
Can your students tell fact from fiction? In this fun, guide-led challenge, pupils investigate fascinating museum objects, analyse clues and work together to uncover the true story. A hands-on way to develop critical thinking, teamwork and historical enquiry skills.
NEW WORKSHOP: Museum Changemakers
September 17, October 13 &14 and November 12 & 13 at 10:00 & 12:00
(National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
During Ireland's historic EU Presidency, inspire the next generation to express their vision for the future by booking a free Museum Changemaker workshop! lease note that this workshop is being run as a pilot during Autumn Term, 2026. As this is a pilot stage, we can only accommodate 1 booking per school. Your classes engagement with this workshop will help us to develop this offering for Spring Term.
GUIDED TOUR: Recovered Voices: Stories and Experiences of the Irish during World War One
Tuesday – Thursday throughout School Term
(National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
Join an experienced Museum guide for this interactive tour that focuses on the people involved in World War One and how the War impacted their lives. This tour seeks to demonstrate the all-encompassing nature of the First World War and includes stories of nurses, doctors, prisoners of war and ordinary soldiers.
GUIDED TOUR: Dead Zoo Lab Explorers
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 & 11.45
(Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
Teachers, have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand face-to-face with a dodo skeleton or examine the fossil bones of the giant Irish deer? Your class are about to find out! Begin your visit to the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks with an interactive tour led by a Museum Educator.
TURAS AR AN LÁTHAIR: Taiscéalaithe Shaotharlann an Zú Mhairbh
Dé hAoine, 10:30 & 11.45
(Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
A mhúinteoirí, cuirigí tús le bhur Staidéar ar Shaotharlann an Zú Mhairbh le turas ar an láthair! Bí ar an gcéad duine le cuairt a thabhairt ar Shaotharlann an Zú Mhairbh atá díreach oscailte i nDún Uí Choileáin.
NEW ONLINE WORKSHOP: Animals, Fossils and More
Selective dates throughout the 2026 autumn school term
(Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
How long does it take a deer to grow back an antler? What is the smallest mammal in Ireland? Can we bring animals back from extinction? Join a Museum Educator online and live in your classroom to answer all your pupils curious questions about life on Earth! Short videos will be combined with a virtual close-up inspection of skulls, stuffed animals and fossils!
NEW Binary Numbers: From Patterns to Pixels
Thursday 15 October at 11.00am-12.00pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Discover the language of computers in this fun and interactive Maths Week workshop. Students will learn how binary code uses just 0s and 1s to create letters, words and messages, before translating their own names into binary and creating coded designs. Linking traditional methods of communication and pattern-making with modern digital technology, this workshop shows how mathematics underpins the devices we use every day.
SCIENCE WEEK: Tour of the Solar System
Tuesday 10 & Friday 13 November at 10am - 11am | 11.30am - 12.30pm | 1pm - 2pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Join scientist Declan Holmes on an amazing tour of the solar system stopping at all the planets to jump on the moon, see the sunrise on Mercury and diamonds fall from the skies of Neptune. Find out what would happen to us if we changed the size of the sun and explore the stars in the night sky.
NEW TIME TRAVELLERS: Exploring Family History Through the 1926 Census
Wednesday 4th or Thursday 5th November 2026 at 10am - 11am or 11.30am - 12.30pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
This workshop facilitated by the Mayo Genealogy Group will help students with top tips on how to create a Family Tree through a mixture of researching and investigating. With the release of the 1926 Census this is a great opportunity to delve into the past to uncover your family history.
STORYTELLING: Winter Folk Tales
Thursday 5 & Friday 6 November at 10am to 11am or 11.30am to 12.30pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Step into the shadows and join storyteller Fiona Dowling for a thrilling session of Winter folk tales, full of folklore and spine-tingling adventures.
CALENDAR CUSTOMS: Traditional Christmas Decorations
Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December at 10am to 11am | 11.30am to 12.30pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Take inspiration from the National Museum collections and the natural environment to create traditional Christmas decorations.
NEW Turais stiúraithe i nGaeilge
7 Deireadh Fómhair, 4 Samhain, 2 Nollaig, 10.00 agus 11.30uair
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Turais Stiúraithe i nGaeilge. Gailearaithe an Mhúsaeim agus Tailte Theach Pháirc Thurlaigh. Turais threoraithe i nGaeilge le Painéal Treoracha an Ard-Mhúsaeim.
GUIDED TOUR: Seasonal Nature Tours
10:00 and 11:30, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Tour the grounds of Turlough Park with an experienced Museum Guide. Find out about nature and biodiversity on a seasonal woodland walk. Discover what trees are on site and how to identify them at different times of the year and then figure out what animals and plants are here and what we can do to protect them.
GUIDED TOUR: Top 10 Highlights of the National Folklife Collection
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10am and 11:30am
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Join an experienced Museum guide who will bring the National Folklife Collection to life through 10 key objects in the museum. Learn about traditional lifestyles including trades, customs, life in the home, clothing, farming and fishing.
CALENDAR CUSTOMS: Make Your Own Hallowe'en Masks BOOKED OUT!
Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22 October at 10am - 11am or 11:30-12:30pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Find out about the history, customs and traditions of Samhain and make your own traditional mask with artist Carmel Balfe.
STORYTELLING: Christmas Tales BOOKED OUT!
Friday 11 December at 10am to 11am | 11.30am to 12.30pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Join storyteller Fiona Dowling to hear some stories and intriguing tales connected to the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life collections and hear some of her Christmas favourites.
GUIDED TOUR: Prehistoric Ireland - Stone Age and Bronze Age peoples
Tuesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Wednesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Thursday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
The Prehistoric Ireland guided tour explores the jobs of the archaeologist and historian, and the role of the National Museum of Ireland – Kildare Street. Strongly linked to the National Curriculum this tour focuses on Stone Age and Bronze Age peoples. Pupils will engage with artefacts from Mesolithic fish traps to Bronze Age swords and shields, using key objects from the Museum’s handling collection for a hands-on learning experience.
GUIDED TOUR: The Vikings in Ireland
Tuesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Wednesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Thursday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
The Vikings in Ireland, session explores the three main activities of the Vikings in Ireland Raiding, Trading and Settling, using the Museum’s unique collection of artefacts. Pupils will explore how these artefacts can tell us about Viking burial customs and beliefs, their society and politics, and the new inventions and materials that they brought to Ireland through travel and trade across Europe and the Middle East.
SCIENCE WEEK 2026 Guided Tour: The Work of the Archaeologist
Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 November at 10:00am & 11:30am
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
This tour will support students in acquiring historical skills, conceptual understanding, and historical consciousness, as part of their curriculum requirements. Students will learn about the role of the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and how archaeologists study the past, through artefacts within the Museum's collection. During this tour, students will get the opportunity to engage with the Museum’s teaching collection and explore how archaeology helps us understand the past.
NEW GUIDED TOUR: Ireland and the Normans
Tuesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Wednesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Thursday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
This tour explores the impact of the Normans in medieval Ireland using the archaeological evidence in the National Museum – Kildare Street. The narrative flows through life in Ireland before the Normans, the Norman invasion, and impacts of the Normans, using key objects from the Museum’s collection to inform us about how life changed during this period.
EGYPTIAN WORKSHOP: Sacred Scarabs BOOKED OUT!
Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November at 10:00 - 11:00, 11:30 - 12:30
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
Explore the beliefs and rituals of the Ancient Egyptians, discover how they mummified their dead, and hear why scarab beetles were so special. Explore the Ancient Egyptian gallery with our Museum experts and get hands on with the Education Department's replica handling collection. Afterwards join us in the Learning Resource Room to discover more and make your own Scarab beetle amulet to take home.
Highlights for POST PRIMARY LEVEL iclude:
GUIDED TOUR: The Work of the Archaeologist
Tuesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Wednesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Thursday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00.
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
This tour, for Junior Cycle and Transition Year History, will focus on the work of the archaeologist and the discipline of archaeology, through the lens of the Vikings in Ireland. This tour will support students in acquiring historical skills, conceptual understanding, and historical consciousness, as part of their curriculum requirements. Students will learn about the role of the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and how archaeologists study the past, through artefacts within the Museum's collection. During this tour, students will get the opportunity to engage with the Museum’s teaching collection and explore how archaeology helps us understand the past.
GUIDED TOUR: Leaving Certificate History of Art
Tuesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Wednesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Thursday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
Take a closer look at how passage tombs were constructed and decorated in the Stone Age and how some of Ireland’s gold objects were made and used in the Bronze Age right up to the creation and design of Early Christian treasures, including the ‘Tara’ Brooch and the Ardagh Chalice.
NEW ONSITE WORKSHOP: Museum Changemakers
Selected dates and times throughout the Autumn term
(National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
During Ireland's historic EU Presidency, inspire the next generation to express their vision for the future by booking a free Museum Changemaker workshop! Through hands-on, object based learning and creative activities, students will explore prominent changemakers of early 20th century Ireland, active citizenship, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the Museum.
NEW ONSITE GUIDED TOUR: Éire to EU - European Connections through the Museum's Collections
Selected dates and times throughout the Autumn term
(National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
To mark Ireland's EU Presidency, explore connections to Europe on this new, special edition tour exploring Ireland's evolving relationship with Europe through more than a century of social, political and cultural change. Using objects and stories from the Museum's collections, students will examine key developments in Irish society from the late nineteenth century to the present day, including Ireland's path to sovereignty, social reform, democracy and international cooperation.
ONSITE GUIDED TOUR: Sliotars, Sashes and Symbols: Shaping Irish Identity
Selected dates and times throughout the Autumn term
(National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
In this tour we look at how the meaning of ‘being Irish’ has evolved since 1900 through the new Changing Ireland galleries. We examine how Irish governments, organisations and ordinary people have attempted to shape national identity through language, culture, sports, and religion. Looking at how Ireland presented itself as an independent nation on the world stage, we explore how Irish identity was seen abroad. We address how issues of identity and belonging have had serious implications at home, focusing on the conflict in Northern Ireland in the second half of the 20th century. Finally, we look at what it means to be Irish today, in all its complexity.
NEW WORKSHOP Science Week: Tour of the Solar System
Tuesday 10th or Friday 13th November, 10am - 11am, 11.30am - 12.30pm, 1pm - 2pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Take a tour through our solar system looking at what would happen if the sun was half its size or if the moon didn't exist. This exciting workshop with Science Ireland will explore the scale of the universe and allow for a discussion on how amazing it is that humans exist in this harsh universe.
NEW WORKSHOP Time Travellers: Exploring Family History Through the 1926 Census
Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th November, 10am - 11am or 11.30am - 12.30pm
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
This workshop facilitated by the Mayo Genealogy Group will help students with top tips on how to create a Family Tree through a mixture of researching and investigating. With the release of the 1926 Census this is a great opportunity to delve into the past to uncover your family history.
NEW Turais stiúraithe i nGaeilge
7 Deireadh Fómhair, 4 Samhain, 2 Nollaig, 10.00 agus 11.30uair
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Turais Stiúraithe i nGaeilge. Gailearaithe an Mhúsaeim agus TailteTh. each Pháirc Thurlaigh.Turais threoraithe i nGaeilge le Painéal Treoracha an Ard-Mhúsaeim.
GUIDED TOURS: Seasonal Nature Tours
10:00 and 11:30, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Find out about nature and biodiversity on a seasonal woodland walk. Discover what trees are on site and how to identify them at different times of the year and then figure out what animals and plants are here and what we can do to protect them.
GUIDED TOUR: Top 10 Tour: Highlights of the National Folklife Collection
10am or 11:30am, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
(National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo)
Learn and develop an understanding about traditional lifestyles including trades, customs, life in the home, clothing, farming and fishing. Gain a fresh perspective on society, economy, culture and politics in Ireland from 1850 to 1950 by examining the various objects on display in the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park.
GUIDED TOUR: Highlights of the National Museum
Tuesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Wednesday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, Thursday 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00
(National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2)
This tour for Transition year students explores 10,000 years of Irish history where students will find out more about life in Ireland from the Stone Age to Early Medieval Ireland and see some of Ireland's most iconic treasures at the Museum. Throughout the tour students we get the opportunity to engage with the Museum’s teaching collection and get to discover even more about these incredible objects.
RESOURCE My Nature Journal Coming Autumn 2026
(Dead Zoo Lab, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7)
Launching in Autumn 2026, My Nature Journal is a new learning resource from the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History for post‑primary students. Designed to support outdoor learning and observation, the journal encourages students to engage with nature through drawing, note‑taking and reflection, linking classroom learning with the natural world. It will be suitable for use before, during or after museum visits, as well as in local outdoor settings.
RESOURCE: What are Natural History Scientific Collections
(National History Collections)
Discover the scientific collections of the National Museum of Ireland at Merrion Street and go behind the scenes of the Museum with talks from our Tales from the Decant Series. In 2020, the National Museum of Ireland at Merrion Street embarked on a decant project which involved the removal and storage of thousands of bones, fossils, stuffed animals, dried insects, and wet collections (animals that have been stored in chemicals to prevent decay). This project was undertaken to clear the museum building for important refurbishments. In these talks, two of the National Museum of Ireland at Merrion Street's curators offer insights into their roles and research of the natural history scientific collections.
BOOKINGS & ENQUIRIES:
We are delighted to announce our new booking system! Teachers can now make a booking request directly through the webpage of their preferred tour or event.
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If you have any queries for the Dublin sites, please contact the Bookings Office at bookings@museum.ie
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For the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park, please email BookingsCountryLife@museum.ie or call (094) 90 31751.
See the full schools programme for the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND at:
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