Clodagh Doyle

Keeper, Irish Folklife Division

Clodagh Doyle has been working with the Irish Folklife Collection of the National Museum of Ireland since 1995 and is now based at Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, the fourth site of the National Museum of Ireland.
She has a degree in Irish Folklore and Archaeology and her MA thesis is on the subject of Traditional Hearth Furniture.
As the longest serving curator she had responsibilities for the Calendar Customs, Religion, Sport & Leisure, Childhood, Textiles, Ceramics & Glass Collections.
She worked in the National Museum of Ireland’s Dublin sites and on the inaugural exhibitions at the NMI – Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, Dublin. She played a pivotal role in the inception, development and installation of the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life and the move of the Irish Folklife Collection to its new store and galleries in Co. Mayo in 2001.
She curated many of the permanent gallery displays at the NMI - Country Life and also curated over 30 temporary exhibitions, two of which, Down Memory Lane and Hair Hurling Balls have travelled throughout Ireland. 
With a love for folklore, ethnology, objects and the Museum, Clodagh was appointed Keeper of the Irish Folklife Division in 2020.

Noel Campbell

Curator, Assistant Keeper Grade I

Noel Campbell began working in the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life in 2001. He is a graduate of NUIG and UCD and holds a degree in history and archaeology. He is the author of A History of Castlebar: Municipal Government 1613-2014 (2014). Noel is responsible for the Boats, Fishing, Hunting, Agriculture and Land Transport collections.

Rosa Meehan

Curator, Assistant Keeper Grade II

Rosa Meehan joined the Irish Folklife Division in 2002 bringing an inter-disciplinary approach to curating the material culture of everyday life and customs of the collection.  Rosa studied Irish History and Librarianship at University College Dublin and archaeology at NUI, Galway and is author of The Story of Mayo, published by Mayo County Council in 2002. She holds responsibility for the Irish Country Furniture and vernacular architecture collection along with trades and crafts. Her current research is on Irish Country Furniture Collection. 

Tiernan Gaffney

Curator, Assistant Keeper Grade II

Tiernan Gaffney joined the Folklife Division in 2022. He holds a degree in Creative Music Production (IADT) followed by an MA in Irish Folklore and Ethnology (UCD). His thesis is on the subject of the creation and connection of communities within shared spaces. He was awarded the Máire MacNeill Scholarship at UCD.

Oein DeBhairduin

Traveller Culture Collector, Assistant Keeper Grade II

Oein joined the National Museum of Ireland in March 2022. Oein has previously worked with the HSE, and was supervisor and manager of St Olivers Training and Education Centre in Cloverhill, Clondalkin for nine years. He was the first Minceiri/ Irish Traveller to work in the Oireachtas, engaging in educational inclusion and cultural rights policy matters. His focus within NMI is developing a Traveller specific collection, as directed, supported and identified by the indigenous, ethnic, minority community. He is a published author of Minceir/ Traveller Folklore, and a long standing member of many Traveller organisations such as a past vice Chair of the Irish Traveller Movement, Council member of Miniceir Whidden and originating member of Tome Tori, the Gammon-Cant (Shelta) speaking group.  

Liam Doherty

M.A. History. With the National Museum of Ireland since 2001.
Contact for queries related to research access to Folklife collections, library and archives.