Maria Edgeworth Centre Open Day

What to Expect

The Maria Edgeworth Centre on The Green in Edgeworthstown opens its doors free of charge on Saturday 15 August 2026, the opening day of National Heritage Week. Entry to the centre, normally ticketed, costs nothing for the day, and the open day is listed on the centre’s own events page as a straightforward invitation to come in and look around rather than a programme of timed talks.

The centre is housed in a restored building beside the Edgeworth family’s former estate and tells the story of Maria Edgeworth, the novelist who wrote Castle Rackrent and Belinda while living in the town, and of her father Richard Lovell Edgeworth, the inventor and educationalist. Displays cover the family, their writing and the wider social history of this part of south Longford. The centre also runs guided tours, workshops and an annual literary festival across the year, and an open day is the usual way to see the exhibition without committing to a booked tour. It sits alongside a busy August at the centre, which also takes in the Celtic Kindness evening on 20 August, a literary stroll around the town on 23 August, and calligraphy and letter-writing workshops on 30 August. Times on the day follow the centre’s normal opening hours, so it is worth ringing ahead on 043 667 1801 to confirm before travelling.

Good to Know

• Saturday 15 August 2026, during the centre’s normal opening hours
• Venue: Maria Edgeworth Centre, The Green, Edgeworthstown, N39 VW40
• Price: free entry for the day
• Part of the opening weekend of National Heritage Week 2026
• Contact the centre on 043 667 1801 or info@mariaedgeworthcenter.com to check times

Getting There

Edgeworthstown sits on the N4 Dublin to Sligo road, about fifteen minutes north-east of Longford town by car and roughly ninety minutes from Dublin. The centre is on The Green at the edge of the town centre with parking nearby. Edgeworthstown railway station on the Dublin to Sligo line is a short walk away.