Maria Edgeworth Center-A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Overview

Available languages

German

Chinese

English

Italian

French

Spanish

Mobile ticket

Learn about the Edgeworth Family and its most prominent member Maria Edgeworth - a contemporary and friend of Jane Austen. Listen to wonderful stories about Edgeworthstown's past and its connection with historical figures such as Oliver Goldsmith, Sir Walter Scott and Oscar Wilde. The Centre contains many valuable artefacts dating back to the 18th century. It also houses a recreation of a 19th century school room and explains the establishment of the Irish National School System.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

All Fees and Taxes

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre

Ballymahon Road Edgeworthstown Ireland

End points

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre

A self-guided audio tour will lead you through the Life & Times of the Enlightenment figure Maria Edgeworth and will bring her to life in an immersive experience. Learn about the most celebrated English language novelist of her era, a contemporary of Jane Austen and Byron amongst others. Guided and supported by her father Richard Lovell Edgeworth, an inventor, surveyor, and educator, she became one of the most successful authors of her time. Listen to wonderful stories of Edgeworthstown’s past and its connections with historical figures such as Oliver Goldsmith, Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth, and Oscar Wilde. In our recreation of a 19th-century school room, you can hear about the origins of Ireland’s Hedge Schools, the Edgeworth's efforts to make education a government priority, and the establishment of the Primary School System in 1831, in which the Edgeworth family played an important role. The Museum contains many valuable artifacts, some dating back to the 18th Century.

Admission Included

Options

Maria Edgeworth Center-A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Reviews

4.89

18 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fascinating glimpse into the past and to the forward thinking of the Edgeworth family that still shapes our world
Jayne G,
Nov 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My sister and I are in Ireland tracing family connections. We were recommended to visit the Maria Edgeworth Centre as there is a connection to our family through the Akenhams. We loved it. We learned so much about Maria Edgeworth and her role in Irish literature. Can hardly wait to read the books we bought. Janine was so knowledgeable and helpful.
National heritage week
Z265ZBanniec,
Aug 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Lovely evening and great video very well put together and lovely old videos of the town seeing all the old shops and how some of the old shops sell are around
Edgeworth’s contribution to Education
Mwfsd,
Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Just passing after coffee and recognising her name, this is a superbly put together enterprise. It will bring some old memories back to the older folks around our education. The Edgeworth family have a lot to boast about. Excellent ephemera and items of interest. Sorry we had no cash but method of payment might be set up for quieter days?
A great Morning activity
Tour12788509137,
Jan 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A great museum with a very warm welcome definitely 5 out of 5 Stars :) The Museum is well planned and thought out with many new aditions
Life of Maria Edgeworth brought to life
roisinf321,
Apr 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent tour with Matt - we did a tour of Edgeworthstown ending with a self guided tour of the Maria Edgeworth Centre. A comprehensive tour - history of the family - and artifacts belonging to Maria in the centre. Matt brought that period in Ireland to life. Could not recommend tour highly enough.
Top notch narrative
francescabK4878OG,
Feb 6, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We spent three hours discovering the life and works of Maria Edgeworth, wonderfully told through the audioguide, pictures and letters. Time flew!
Interesting, a glimpse into the past 😊
Journey64708893006,
Nov 10, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
The tour was very interesting and helped clarify some of the family tree as I am reading Valerie Packenham's book of Maria's compiled letters. Lots of info packed into one place. Great view of Irish history!
I enjoyed my time at the centre
thisdrinkinglife,
Jun 18, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The Maria Edgeworth Centre is situated in an old school building from the year 1840 and has been adapted to interpret the story of the Edgeworth Family, but mostly concentrating on Maria...….a fascinating character who was an early pioneer in education and a well renowned writer, equal to her contemporaries, if not more, in her time, one of which was Jane Austin. With history and the passage of time, Maria's good work and life is perhaps, not as known as it should be, and I hold my hand up and admit I knew next to nothing of the lady. So with this in mind I was happy to visit the Centre and learn something both new and interesting. Arrived and was warmly welcomed by both Matt and Janine (from Germany), both very friendly and clearly passionate about the centre and keeping alive the spirit of the Edgeworth family. Janine (I hope I spelt that correctly) kindly gave me a quick run down on Maria and also was kind enough to show me around the centre, highlighting the many achievements of not only Maria but also her parents and siblings........ giving an impression of a family that was well ahead of their time....in science and in the methodology of teaching. The rooms are very well laid out, showing a wide variety of portraits of the family, the many books, and has the setting of an old classroom, which it was back in the day. It was easy to walk around, take in all the history and read up about the life and times of the Edgeworth family. There is also seating outside and as far as I know coffee and tea is available..... I enjoyed my time at the centre and learnt an awful lot, and I think its definitely a place to bring a friend or relative who has a liking for local history....... Its great to see that the memory of Maria and her family is alive and well.....a great testament to their life and great work in the local community and beyond.
Stimulating hour in Mostrim
George RStJ Talbot,
Apr 24, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent little museum, exploring the legacy of a remarkable family and their contribution to progressive education.
Educational Hub in Longford.
806marissah,
Apr 13, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Brilliant. Really interesting. Didn’t know that Edgeworthstown was such an educational hub. Really interesting and rare artificers.