A spectacular driving and touring route linking six unique visitor experiences across 6,000 years of history and culture

Route Millennia connects the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life at Turlough Park, Castlebar, to the world famous Céide Fields in Ballycastle, via the Michael Davitt Museum, Straide, Foxford Woollen Mills, Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina, and Belleek Visitor Centre at Belleek Castle.

Sample Neolithic structures, medieval armoury, 1916 and Civil War artefacts.
Visit a working mill, Ireland’s National Folklife Collection and the grave of one of Ireland’s greatest patriots.

All of this and more is waiting to be discovered on Mayo’s Route Millennia.
Suitable for self-driving and coach tours. Speak to any of our sites about activities for primary and secondary school tours.

Visitor sites

Together, the Route Millennia destinations explore over 6,000 years of Mayo’s unique culture and heritage, from Neolithic field systems to medieval armoury, 1916, a working mill, Ireland’s National Folklife Collection and one of the country’s greatest patriots. Click on a destination below to find out more.

National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Castlebar

Turlough_Park_1Explore four floors of exhibition galleries at this Museum of Country Life, which charts the day-to-day lives of our rural ancestors from the 1850s to the 1950s.

T: +353 94 90 31755 E: tpark@museum.ie www.museum.ie/country-life

Michael Davitt Museum, Straide

Experience the inspiring story of one of Ireland’s greatest patriots at this award-winning museum, located at the final resting place of Michael Davitt.

T: +353 94 90 31942 E: davittmuseum@eircom.net www.michaeldavittmuseum.ie

Foxford Woollen Mills, Foxford

Foxford-mill-3Visit a working mill and see first-hand the exceptional history, traditional, design and craftsmanship behind the famous Foxford brand.

T: +353 94 92 56104 E: info@fwm.ie www.foxfordwoollenmills.com

Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina

Jackie-Clarke-CollectionImmerse yourself in the lifetime’s work of a genius collector. Explore 400 years of Irish history through more than 100,000 items in this fascinating collection.

T: +353 96 73508 E: clarkecollection@mayococo.ie www.clarkecollection.ie

Belleek Castle Visitor Centre, Ballina

Belleek Castle ResizedDiscover the heritage of Belleek Castle, a Medieval Great Hall, the Marshall Doran Collection, Medieval armoury, Jurassic fossils, antiques, Grace O’Malley’s bed and more.

T: +353 96 22400 E: curator@belleekcastle.com www.belleekcastle.com

Céide Fields, Ballycastle

Ceide-Fields-Visitor-Centre-1Explore six millennia of Mayo history at this world famous Neolithic site where the earliest known fields are hidden under blanket bog on the wild Mayo coast.

T: +353 96 43325 E: ceidefields@opw.ie www.heritageireland.ie

Route directions

Route-directions

1. National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Castlebar via N5

2. Michael Davitt Museum, Straide via N5/N58 from Castlebar or N26/N58 from Ballina

3. Foxford Woollen Mills, Foxford, via N58 from Straide or N26 from Ballina

4. Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina, via R314 from Ballycastle or N26 from Foxford

5. Belleek Castle Visitor Centre, Ballina, via R314 from Ballina and Ballycastle, take turn for Castle Road

6. Céide Fields, Ballycastle, via R314 from Ballina