[1] In the early 1970s Dr Austin O’Sullivan began collecting materials relating to farming and rural life in Ireland.

[2] In 1974 Dr Thomas Walsh, the Director of An Foras Talúntais (now Teagasc), agreed to the foundation of an agricultural museum.

[4] The museum, housed in the former farm buildings of Johnstown Castle Estate, was opened in 1979 by Irish President Patrick Hillery.

[3] Matt Wheeler took over as Curator in 2011 and added new exhibitions, including the Harvesting Machinery Hall, and extended the opening hours to establish the museum as a year round destination.

[8] The main focus of the museum's collections was to document the changes in farming life in the wake of the industrial revolution, in particular the move away from horse-powered machinery to those powered by engines.