Broom making workshop

If you have ever wondered how people kept their floors swept before plastic existed, this half-day workshop at the North Mayo Heritage Centre answers the question hands-on. Using plant fibres, tree bark and grasses, you will weave a working broom - or two - from scratch over a relaxed three-hour morning. It suits anyone curious about natural materials and traditional skills, and no previous craft experience is needed.

What to expect

The session runs from 10am to 1pm and takes place at the North Mayo Heritage Centre on the Enniscoe estate at Castlehill, just outside Crossmolina. The course explores the surprising range of materials that traditional broom makers drew on: grasses, soft rush, willow bark, and fibrous plant stems all feature in different broom styles and traditions across Ireland and Europe.

Participants learn how to read and prepare their materials, then weave and bind them into a functional broom. The emphasis is on doing rather than watching - by the end of the morning you leave with something you made yourself that can genuinely be used at home. All materials are provided by the centre, so you arrive empty-handed and leave with a finished piece.

The North Mayo Heritage Centre runs a summer programme of traditional craft workshops - willow weaving, natural dyeing, needle-felting - and broom making sits alongside these as part of a broader effort to keep these skills in living practice rather than just in books. The setting adds to the experience: the estate includes mature woodland, organic gardens, and views across Lough Conn towards the slopes of Nephin.

Getting there

Crossmolina sits on the R315, roughly 10 kilometres north of Ballina, which is the main town in the area and has regular Bus Eireann connections from Westport and Sligo. From Ballina, the R315 takes you directly through Crossmolina and on to Castlehill; the heritage centre is signposted off the road on the Enniscoe estate. If you are coming by car from Westport, follow the N5 east to Castlebar and then the N26 north to Ballina before picking up the R315. Parking is available on the estate.

While you’re in Crossmolina

The town itself is a quiet, workable base for a day in North Mayo - close to the shore of Lough Conn and within easy reach of the wild Atlantic coast. There is more to see in Crossmolina and across Co. Mayo.

Good to know

• Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
• Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm
• Price: Free
• Booking: Required - book through FareHarbor on the North Mayo Heritage Centre website at northmayoheritagecentre.ie or contact the centre at nmhreception2018@gmail.com / 096 31809
• All materials are provided; no experience needed