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You are here: HomenextExplore our archivenextTopicsnextTraditional Boats of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

Traditional Boats of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

My name is Noel Campbell, I am the curator of traditional Irish boats in the Irish Folklife Division of the National Museum of Ireland.

National Museum of Ireland curator Noel Campbell. © Noel Campbell.

The National Museum of Ireland - Country Life is currently developing a gallery at Turlough Park in Castlebar, Co. Mayo for the permanent display of a selection of boats from the Irish Folklife collection. The gallery will focus on the traditional boats of the Atlantic coast with boats and associated material from counties along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

In this blog, I will post updates on the development of the gallery, as well as posting on my research and fieldwork on traditional boats along the west coast of Ireland.

In planning the gallery, I aim to visit museums, heritage centres, clubs, boatyards, coastal and fishing communities, boat builders, experts, harbours and strands from the Northern Headlands in Donegal to the Haven Coast in Cork.

Please feel free to leave a comment on any of the posts.

  • Introduction

    Introduction

    The tangible remnants of the relationship between island and coastal communities and the sea are safeguarded and displayed at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life.
  • What boats are in the Irish Folklife Collection?

    What boats are in the Irish Folklife Collection?

    The Irish Folklife collection of the National Museum of Ireland amounts to over 37,000 objects. The collection contains over thirty traditional Irish boats.
  • Currach fishermen of Clare Island

    Currach fishermen of Clare Island

    Clare Island lies 5.5 kilometres off the coast of County Mayo. It is only one hour drive from the National Museum of Ireland - Country at Turlough Park to the ferry departure at Roonagh Pier.
  • An afternoon with a currach fisherman

    An afternoon with a currach fisherman

    Standing at Port an Chuaille on Clare Island, I scanned beyond the quiet pier and tried to imagine what the ...
  • Reviving the Galway hooker

    Reviving the Galway hooker

    Covid restrictions have struck again and travel outside of Mayo has been controlled. Thankfully, I was able to get to ...
  • The hand line - if it's not broken, don't fix it

    The hand line - if it's not broken, don't fix it

    While working in the stores of the Irish Folklife collection recently, I came across a fishing hand line that was ...
  • Dónal Mac Polin artwork donated to National Museum of Ireland – Country Life

    Dónal Mac Polin artwork donated to National Museum of Ireland – Country Life

    The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life received a very generous donation of 18 boat prints recently from artist ...
  • Tim Severin's The Brendan Voyage

    Tim Severin's The Brendan Voyage

    While cataloguing the Irish Folklife currach collection, I am always conscious that the boats I am working on are as ...
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