Under the Hawthorn Tree

Under the Hawthorn Tree brings Marita Conlon-McKenna’s much-loved children’s novel to life in an immersive exhibition at Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh. The exhibition follows siblings Eily, Michael and Peggy O’Driscoll as they leave the workhouse and set out across a Famine-stricken Ireland, and remains open daily with no advertised closing date, with regional tourism listings pointing to a run into spring 2027.

What to expect

The exhibition uses objects, sound, smell and interactive elements rather than text panels alone, built around a full-size hand-crafted hawthorn tree made by the resident willow weaver from Ulster Folk Museum. Rarely displayed pieces from the National Museums NI collection sit alongside the sensory storytelling, including a period potato basket and shawl that ground the fictional story in real Famine-era objects. The exhibition is aimed at families and school groups as much as adult visitors, with the themes of resilience, care and sibling loyalty handled in a way that is accessible to children without softening the scale of the tragedy, in which roughly a million people died while food continued to be exported from Ireland. School visits can be booked with additional educational programming built around the exhibition.

Getting there

The Folk Park is signposted off the A5 about two miles north of Omagh, with free parking on site.

While you’re in Omagh

The exhibition sits inside Omagh’s biggest heritage attraction, alongside the reconstructed Ulster street and the emigrant ship exhibit. There is more to see across Co. Tyrone if you are making a day of it.

Good to know

• Open: daily except Mondays, 10am to 5pm, with no advertised closing date before spring 2027
• Venue: Ulster American Folk Park, 2 Mellon Rd, Omagh
• Price: included with general admission
• Suitable for: families and school groups, based on Marita Conlon-McKenna’s novel
• Booking: nationalmuseumsni.digitickets.co.uk