Michael Cusack Centre

The Michael Cusack Centre sits in the village of Carran, in the heart of the Burren in County Clare, within the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. It is dedicated to Michael Cusack, the north Clare man who founded the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 1884. The centre opened in 2006 and combines a modern visitor building with Cusack’s restored family cottage, a thatched dwelling dating from the 19th century.

A visit centres on the story of Cusack and the movement he began. Guided tours and audio-visual presentations trace his life against the backdrop of famine-era Ireland, while information panels and photographs in the main exhibition room set out the history of the man and the association he helped create, now among the largest amateur sporting organisations in the world. A multimedia presentation in the original homestead brings his story to life for visitors.

The surrounding landscape is part of the experience. The grounds include a family fairy trail and a GAA trail, and the Cusack Way is a linear walk of roughly six kilometres leading from the centre through farmland, native hazel woodland and Burren flora up to the early medieval cliff fort of Cahercommaun.

The centre is open on weekdays, with seasonal hours across the year and weekend access for pre-booked groups in the summer months. It is worth checking current times and tour arrangements directly with the centre before you travel.