Glencolmcille, July 16, 2026 – the Folk Village

After breakfast at Kelly’s Corner, I shouldered my daypack, put on my sunscreen, and headed downhill to Glencolmcille Folk Village, where I met fellow tapestry weaver and new friend Margaret Rose Cunningham, who manages it. What a well done museum complex! There were reproductions of typical cottages from 1700, 1850, and 1900, as well as a grocery/pub, a schoolhouse, and a one-room fisherman’s cottage. Also a very nice gift shop and teahouse.

A small trail behind the complex took you up to a reproduction of a standing stone in the area with a great view over Glen Head Bay, as well as other small structures that would have been in the village, such as a secret altar and a sweat house.

Here is a slideshow of photos from that visit. Note how the fireplaces change through time, and how small the beds are. Large families lived in these small cottages. The fanciest one in the photos here belonged to the priest. He had a bedroom, kitchen, and parlor.