2017 marks the 50th anniversary for Glencolmcille Folk Village. During the year we will be hosting a series of events to celebrate, check out our website and facebook page for details.

We will be launching a book during the season as a special tribute to those whose dedication has kept the folk village alive all these years.

This thatched-roof replica of a rural village in Ireland’s most north westerly county offers a glimpse into daily life as it was during past centuries.

The Folk Village Museum is a cluster of several small cottages, called a ‘clachan’, perched on a hillside overlooking the sandy curve of Glen Bay Beach in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) of South West Donegal. Designed, built and maintained by the local people, the Folk Village is one of Ireland's best living-history museums.

Each cottage is an exact replica of a dwelling used by the local people in each of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and is equipped with the furniture, artifacts and utensils of its particular period. A reconstructed school house, fisherman’s dwelling and tiny pub-grocer offer additional insights into rural Irish life in one of the most remote corners of the country. Find out more

Visitors may wander at leisure through the Village, or join one of our excellent guided tours. Take a look at how our ancestors lived, cooked, the beds they lay on, the tools they used, their means of lighting and heat. Learn how they developed rich traditions in music, dance and crafts despite the material hardships of daily life.

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Browse our well-stocked Craft Shop with its large selection of books, locally-made knitwear, tapestries, and handcrafts, or relax in the Tearoom for a warm bowl of soup, a chat and maybe a delicious Irish coffee. Tapestry/craft workshops and traditional music and Irish culture events are also held at the Folk Village during the summer. Find out more on our News and Events page or visit us on Facebook.

The beauty of Glencolmcille has been drawing visitors for 1,500 years, so why not stay with us in Glen a little longer to enjoy the rugged scenery, the fresh Atlantic air, and the many amenities and activities for visitors, including beaches, hill walking, golf, diving, early Christian archaeological sites, traditional music sessions, and courses in Irish language and culture.

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