Strokestown Park & Gardens – The National Famine Museum in County Roscommon is offering an exciting lineup of tours, experiences, and events for spring and summer 2025.
The award-winning National Famine Museum reopened in 2022 following an extensive redevelopment overseen by The Irish Heritage Trust, an independent non-profit organisation. Since then, the Trust has also managed significant conservation and restoration work on Strokestown Park’s historic Palladian mansion. With remarkable authenticity, the house’s faded grandeur and fascinating collections offer a rare glimpse into everyday life in an Irish country house. It provides intriguing insights into Ireland’s past, revealing the vastly different parallel lives experienced during the famine.
Strokestown Park’s Palladian House remains one of Ireland’s few homes to have preserved all its original features. When Olive Pakenham-Mahon, the last resident, sold the property in 1979, her family had owned it for over 300 years. Generations of residents left their marks on the house, each layer telling a unique story. In a recent milestone, The Irish Heritage Trust completed the restoration of the estate’s 18th-century gallery kitchen, the last of its kind in Ireland, and launched an engaging new exhibition within the space.
Visitors can immerse themselves in history through a variety of guided and self-guided tours. The ‘Self-Guided Tour of the National Famine Museum’ brings to life compelling and interactive stories from one of the most tragic periods in Irish history. Tickets start at €14.50 per adult and the audio guide is available in six languages. For those eager to explore the historic house, three daily ‘Guided Strokestown Park House Tours’ at noon, 2 pm, and 3 pm offer a one-hour journey through the home’s untouched original features, period furniture, and treasured objects. Guests will also explore the charming nursery, the stark schoolroom, and the newly restored gallery kitchen, which provides fresh insights into the lives of the estate’s servants through the exhibit ‘Food, Feasts and Footmen’. Tickets start at €18.50 per adult.
John O’Driscoll, General Manager for The Irish Heritage Trust at Strokestown Park, highlights the significance of the restored kitchen: “This unique gallery kitchen had been concealed behind partition walls until its rediscovery in the early 1980s. Our new exhibition provides an immersive look into the lives of the household’s servants, particularly the female kitchen staff who endured strict hierarchical rules and demanding labour in the ‘Big House.”
For 2025 members* of the Irish Heritage Trust can access the house, Famine Museum and gardens year-round for just €1 a week, safe in the knowledge that their contribution will go towards the ongoing improvements and upkeep of Strokestown Park which continues to unlock more stories. This is thanks to the support of visitors, members, grants, and philanthropic contributions, including the donation last year of the Choctaw Sculpture from the USA located in the courtyard adjacent to the Museum.
After exploring Strokestown Park’s historic treasures, visitors can unwind with a coffee and a treat at the bright and modern Woodland Café, housed in the estate’s old granary. A leisurely stroll through the beautiful woodland gardens provides the perfect way to conclude a visit steeped in history and heritage.
An exciting series of spring and summer events is also on the horizon, ranging from an international poetry festival and the annual Famine Summer School to live music sessions at the Woodland Café and family-friendly Easter activities. On Friday, March 21st, Strokestown Park will celebrate Irish language and culture with a performance by An Chéad Ghlúin Eile, featuring Sean-Nós singers and native Irish-speaking sisters Étáin and Máire Ní Churraoin. Families visiting between April 12th and 27th can embark on the Easter Trail in the Victorian Walled Gardens, where young adventurers will solve clues and earn a chocolate prize. Participation in the trail is €10 per child, and children under 1yr go free, with special pricing of €8 for Irish Heritage Trust members.
From May 2nd to 4th, the Strokestown International Poetry Festival, founded in 1999, will once again welcome poets and audiences from around the world, providing an esteemed platform for contemporary poetry and literary discussion.
Strokestown Park & Gardens – The National Famine Museum is open daily from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. For a full list of events and to book tickets, visit strokestownpark.ie/events.