Between the Victorian Gothic style Turlough Park House and the modern Museum Galleries building, the metal sculpture “Portal” creates a bridge between eras. Also referred to as the “Circle of Life” it reflects the story of the site. The ‘Big House’ was built in 1865, centerpiece of the large Fitzgerald estate. The family were owners from the mid-seventeenth century until 1991, when it was purchased by County Mayo to be developed for the National Museum of Ireland’s large Folklife collection that exemplifies the country’s rural past and way of life that is almost vanished.

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