On 31st May 2017 at the Jackie Clarke Collection, in the beautiful surroundings of the Community Heritage Walled Garden, the Route Millennia Mayo tourism trail was launched by Professor Seamas Caulfield. The Route Millennia Mayo trail is a brand new tourism trail that links six of the county’s premier cultural sites along a 60km trail of culture, history and exploration:
– The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life at Turlough Park, Castlebar
– The Michael Davitt Museum, Straide,
– The Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina
– Belleek Castle, Ballina.
and Céide Fields, Ballycastle.
This fascinating journey through over 6,000 years of history is suitable for self-driving, school tours and coach tours.
Taken together, the six Route Millennia Mayo destinations explore Mayo’s unique culture and heritage, from the Neolithic field systems of the first farmers six thousand years ago, to medieval armoury in the Marshall Doran Collection at Belleek Castle, to the events of 1916 leading to the foundation of the state in the Jackie Clarke Collection, to the working woollen mill in Foxford, created by one of Ireland’s most determined, most forward thinking women, to Ireland’s National Folklife Collection in Turlough’s National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, to the story of one of the country’s greatest patriots in the beautiful Michael Davitt Museum.
This wonderful initiative links some of most interesting and fascinating sites in Mayo and gives visitors to the county – and locals! – the freedom to explore these treasures in their own time and at their own place.
Full information is available on the Route Millennia Facebook page or at any of the featured sites.
