The History of the Sligo/Tuam Chair, with examples from the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life

Ancient Irish Chair illustration

The Dublin Penny Journal, 1(8), p. 64.

EDITED: The Sligo/Tuam chairs will be featured in a major exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in 2021. My research will be updated after this time.

Introduction

This research was completed in 2013 as part of the BA in Heritage Studies degree at GMIT Mayo Campus, whilst undertaking voluntary work at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, alongside Curator Rosa Meehan. The aim of the research project was to discover historical information on the Sligo/Tuam Chair.

The Sligo/Tuam Chair is a distinctive three-legged, straight backed, triangular-seated chair, with or without arms, that is predominantly found in the western region of Ireland. It is not a common chair yet its manufacture has endured to the modern day.