Michael Cusack Centre
Heritage centre in the Burren at the birthplace of GAA founder Michael Cusack, with a multimedia exhibition, a famine-era cottage and a fairy trail.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Michael Cusack Centre stands in Carran in the Burren, in County Clare, at the place where Michael Cusack, the founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association, was born. It presents the story of the man and of the beginnings of the GAA.
A glass wall in the exhibition building looks across the landscape to Cusack’s childhood home, a nineteenth-century herdsman’s cottage. The exhibition uses information panels, photographs, audio-visual presentations and a multimedia presentation with holographic projections of Michael Cusack himself.
Tours take in the Cusack Famine Cottage, the centre and the Púca and Fairy Trail, an outdoor trail themed on local folklore. A 6 km walking route, the Cusack Way, starts nearby, and the centre offers tours for school groups.
Highlights
- Multimedia exhibition with holographic projections of Michael Cusack
- Cusack Famine Cottage, the nineteenth-century family home
- Púca and Fairy Trail included with the Cusack Tour
- Cusack Way walking route
- School tours
Permanent exhibition
- Michael Cusack exhibition and Cusack Famine Cottage – A multimedia exhibition on the life of Michael Cusack and the founding of the GAA, with the nineteenth-century cottage seen across a glass wall.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Senior citizens and students |
| Children & teens | €4Children under 16. |
| Seniors | €6 |
| Students & apprentices | €6 |
| Groups (6+ people) | €6 per personPer person for groups of more than 5 people. |
| Families | €20Two adults and two children. |
| Púca and Fairy Trail only – adult | €2.50Senior or student €2, child under 16 €1, family €8; groups €2 per person |
The Cusack Tour ticket includes the Púca and Fairy Trail. Booking in advance is recommended.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The centre is not fully wheelchair accessible but welcomes visitors of all abilities, and staff can help. Drivers can park close to the Cusack Cottage and the centre, and there are wheelchair-accessible toilets. An accessibility improvement programme is planned.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €20 · Two adults and two children. |
- Family tours & workshops
The centre welcomes families with small children, children under 16 pay a reduced price and a family ticket is available. The Púca and Fairy Trail is aimed at children.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Local Link routes C5, C7, C8, C11 and C14 and Bus Éireann routes 350 and 333 serve nearby towns; the website does not name a stop at the centre.
By car
Free parking
Free off-road parking for up to 50 cars and 2 large buses.
- Accessible parking
The centre is on the L1014 in the Burren, about 30 minutes from Ennis. From Corofin take the R476 towards Kilfenora, turn onto the R480 at Leamaneh Castle and then onto the L1014.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Gift shop with local, artisan and GAA-themed items, toilets and a free picnic area. Wi-Fi is included with the Púca and Fairy Trail ticket. No café is mentioned.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Discover Ireland suggests 1 to 2 hours for a visit. Tours include the Cusack Famine Cottage, the centre, the Púca trail and the Cusack Way walk; school tours are offered. |
