Irish Mummers’ Straw Hat – Making Workshop

Create a traditional Irish mummers’ straw hat in this hands-on workshop.

Straw Traditions: Irish Mummers’ Hat Workshop

In Ireland, straw traditions are closely connected with folk customs such as the Strawboys and Mummering, where elaborate straw costumes and masks were worn during seasonal celebrations, weddings, and community gatherings.

In this workshop, artist Maeve Collins invites participants to rediscover the beauty of handmade objects while contributing to a shared cultural dialogue that continues to grow and evolve. Through the process of making, participants are encouraged to see themselves as part of a living cultural narrative. Rather than simply learning a craft technique, the workshop offers an opportunity to connect traditions across generations and cultures.

Working together with natural materials, conversations often open space for stories about family heritage, migration, local customs, and personal memories. These shared reflections help enrich the project and deepen its cultural significance.

The workshop will run for approximately three hours. Hats created during the workshop will be worn at Clare Museum during the main Straw Connect event on 10 October 2026. After the event hats will be given to those who keep the tradition alive in their area.

🔸 Places are limited.

This workshop forms part of Straw Connect, a wider cultural project exploring connections between Ireland and Eastern Europe through straw traditions. Led by Anna Scanlan with artists Maeve Collins, Tanya Bondarenko, Beata Rosik, and Wiktoria Mrozowicz, the project combines heritage craft with contemporary art to create space for cultural exchange and community participation.

This project is funded by Clare County Council’s Creative Ireland fund, Clare Museum, Clare Local Development Company and Inisowiacy Polish Folk Group.