Glencolmcille Folk Village: 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.

Glencolmcille Folk Village

Stone carving - the Glen AngelEach 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.

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.