From traditional craft demonstrations, family workshops and hands-on history sessions to guided tours, music performances and fascinating talks, there's something for visitors of all ages to discover and enjoy this National Heritage Week.
The Museum is once again delighted to participate in this vibrant and engaging initiative by the Heritage Council, celebrating Ireland's cultural, built, and natural heritage from 15 to 23 August 2026.
This year's theme, Heritage at Risk, invites us to explore the traditions, skills, objects and places that shape our shared history and consider how they can be protected for future generations.
Take a look at some of our highlight events and be sure to visit one of our three Museum sites in Dublin and Mayo for National Heritage Week 2026.
HERITAGE WEEK 2026 | National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo
.jpg)
13:00 - 16:00 | Sunday 16 August 2026 | Adults and Children | Free Admission | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo
Enjoy live demonstrations by expert craftspeople, including basket weaving, traditional woodworking and stonemasonry, and discover the skills, materials and stories that have shaped rural Irish life. This free, family‑friendly event offers a hands‑on opportunity to see heritage crafts in action and learn why these traditions remain vital today.
15:00 - 16:00 | Sunday 23 August 2026 | Adults and Children | Free Admission | Booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo
Join Irish Folklife curator Tiernan Gaffney to learn about the history of traditional craftspeople in Ireland and the communities that once depended on them. This talk explores the artefacts and memories tied to traditional Irish skills and their quiet fading from everyday life. Learn how the museum is preserving these crafts and supporting the makers keeping these skills alive today.
HERITAGE WEEK 2026 | National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
13:30 - 15:00 | Sunday 16 August 2026 | Families with Children aged 5 - 13 | Free Admission | BOOKED OUT!
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
Explore the colourful world of Delftware this Heritage Week with visual artist Mirjam Keune. Inspired by objects in the Museum’s collection, participants will create their own blue-and-white decorative designs, blending traditional Delftware styles with their own creativity.
.jpg)
14:30 - 15:15 | Sunday 16 August 2026 | All Ages | Free Admission | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
For National Heritage Week, Professor Clíona Doris and Dr Clare McCague from Technological University Dublin present an illustrated talk on Ireland’s harp tradition in nineteenth-century Ireland, including performance of repertoire from the period.
11:00 - 12:30 | Tuesday 18 August 2026 | All Ages | Free Admission | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
Join Museum Educators for Hands-on History, an interactive handling session with objects from the Museum’s handling collection. These are drop-in handling sessions in the Museum Reception area that can be expected to take from 5-15 minutes.
Selected times and dates throughout Heritage Week
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
Discover fascinating stories from Ireland's past during Heritage Week at Collins Barracks. Join one of our free guided tours exploring themes of migration, social change, LGBTQIA+ history, and the unique story of Collins Barracks itself. Tours begin in Reception and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. No booking required.
Selected times and dates throughout Heritage Week
The Dead Zoo Lab, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin 7
Perfect for curious young explorers, these free drop-in sessions offer a chance to handle real and replica natural history objects and learn more about Ireland's wildlife and biodiversity. Each activity lasts 5–10 minutes, with a take-home activity sheet and drawing challenge to continue the adventure.
Selected times and dates throughout Heritage Week
The Dead Zoo Lab, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin 7
Join the Animal Lottery Tour, a fun and fast-paced 30 minute tour for families in the Dead Zoo Lab. The twist? Visitors decide the route! Pick an animal name from our lottery bag and join us as we journey to meet some of our favourite animals and fossils in the Dead Zoo Lab. No booking required.
HERITAGE WEEK 2026 | National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Sunday, 16 August | Families | No booking required
Woodstown Viking Heritage Festival, Woodstown, Co Waterford
This Heritage Week, the Archaeology Education and Outreach Team from the National Museum of Ireland at Kildare Street will be bringing the Viking Handling Collection down to Waterford to take part in the Áonach na nDéise - Woodstown Viking Heritage Festival. There, they will be joined by Déise Medieval, Waterford City and County Council, TVAS Archaeology, the Discovery Programme and Abarta Heritage for a fun filled Viking Day!
Wednesday, 29 August | 11:00 - 13:00 | Families | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Drop into the Learning Resource Room at the Museum and learn how to think like an archaeologist by solving our puzzle. Take a close look and handle each of our Viking replica artefacts. Figure out what they are, how they were used and what they are made from. Use the Viking Age Artefact Detective activity sheet to fill in all of the answers.
Thursday, 20 August | 14:00 - 16:00 | Families | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Explore the lives of Viking warriors and their swords at this drop-in workshop. Craft and decorate your own mini paper Viking sword and mark it with a secret message in Viking runes to take home with you.
You might also be interested in:
-
Discover a range of extraordinary exhibitions at the National Museum this summer
-
Summer Programme of Workshops, Tours & Trails at the National Museum of Ireland