History of the Sligo Folk Park

In 1990, Riverstown locals from diverse backgrounds came together with the common aim of reversing rural decline in the region. They formed a company and using skills gained in the fields of agriculture, business, education and community activities, prepared a comprehensive action plan, aimed at turning Riverstown into an attractive and viable area to live, work and rear a family.

A number of projects followed, contributing to the environmental enhancement of the village and providing employment for locals.

Millview House is a turn of the century farmhouse on six acres, and it was purchased as the company’s headquarters. Here, the company conducted an historical project, which researched the rich history of the locality. Today, large volumes of documentation and photographs relevant to the area are available for research.

The establishment of the County Sligo Agricultural Museum and Rural Heritage Park (aka Sligo Folk Park) has been the major undertaking of the company. The site comprises Millview House and eight other buildings on the site, housing thousands of artefacts, which have all been donated by the local community over the last thirty years.

Sligo Folk Park opened its doors to tourists in 2001 and has welcomed visitors for tours and annual events ever since. The Folk Park’s collection continues to grow, as heritage items are restored to their former glory and placed on display.

In 2019 Sligo Folk Park commenced a major redevelopment of the site, with new and exciting additions to the Park occurring on a regular basis.

Sligo Folk Park is an amenity to promote the development of Sligo tourism, to generate employment in the Riverstown area and trade in the local businesses. It is an educational facility to inform future generations of the lives and lifestyles of their forebearers and a valuable source of information for researchers and enthusiasts.

The current Board of the Directors for the company are Michael Tuohy (Chair), Hugh Kelly (Secretary), Mary Quinn (Treasurer), John Taylor, Hilda Shaw, Paul Quinn and Dermot McDermott.  The company also welcomes enquiries from members of the local community and beyond who would be interested in joining the Board.