National Heritage Week is taking place from 14-22 August. National Heritage Week, an initiative by the Heritage Council, celebrates all things heritage. It brings together communities, families, organisations, cultural institutions, academics and enthusiasts, to build awareness about the value of heritage and support its conservation.
National Heritage Week 2021
In-person heritage activities
Highlights from this year’s National Heritage Week programme include:
- Pavee Roads Home: explores Traveller culture and heritage through the lens of history and geography. This charts the journey of three Traveller families from the West of Ireland to Dublin City, showing how Travellers contributed to life in Ireland and abroad. More…
- Currachs Past, Currachs Future: reveals the tradition, history and folklore surrounding currachs on the bank of the Boyne, and offers visitors a chance to help to carve a currach paddle. More…
- Come Dine with 18th Century Me: steps back in time and takes a light-hearted look at 1780s Cork comparing 18th century and contemporary urban life through the medium of a dinner party. More…
- Seashore Safari with Sea Synergy: takes a tour of the Inny Strand Beach, Waterville. It starts with mindfulness and is followed by a tour of rocks pools, ocean literacy and beach games, concluding with a beach clean. More…
- Carlingford’s medieval monuments through Mandarin: the built heritage of the medieval town of Carlingford is made accessible to Mandarin speakers in this project, which covers the Vikings, Normans and Williamite Wars and more besides. More…
- Botanical Art Workshop: Hedgerow Wild & Beautiful: paints the colours and shapes of late-summer hedgerows in this one-day online botanical watercolour course, suitable for beginners and improvers. More…
- Phoenix Cricket Club: Heritage and History: offers a chance to learn more about Ireland’s oldest sporting club Phoenix Cricket Club, including the colour and characters it has accumulated over the centuries, from its founding in 1830 by Charles Stewart Parnell’s father, through the bombing by the Nazis, the first female president in the Park up to its present culturally diverse club. More…
Commenting, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan said: “Ireland’s heritage is as rich and diverse as contemporary Ireland itself. It is something that is shared by all of us and continually evolving. In this spirit, National Heritage Week is an opportunity to come together and rally around Ireland’s unique heritage. It is also a chance to show our appreciation for those who champion it at community, local and national level, ensuring its preservation, protection and celebration.
“This year’s National Heritage Week offers something for every taste and interest, whether that is natural landscapes, wildlife and habitats, buildings and monuments, or customs and practices like art, sport and music. I encourage people across Ireland to visit the National Heritage Week website and explore projects that might interest them, or find a local event to participate in. National Heritage Week is a special opportunity to reach out and connect with each other through Ireland’s wonderful, precious heritage.”
Two themed days will take place during National Heritage Week. On Wednesday 18thAugust, Wild Child Day encourages children and families to explore the heritage in their locality. On Sunday, 22nd August, the Heritage Council and the Local Authority Waters Programme invite people to explore National Heritage Week projects that celebrate water and our connections with it.
People interested in attending in-person events are advised to consult the individual event page on the National Heritage Week website, or contact event organisers for full details of registration and attendance, which is subject to the prevailing public health and events guidelines.
Online heritage projects and activities
This year’s National Heritage Week has so much to offer and also features a range of online heritage projects and activities. You can search the full selection of virtual activities taking place on the Project 2021 page.
Here is a small selection of what’s happening this year:
Saturday, 14th August 2021
Bow-Making during the 100 Years War by Living Longbows (Westmeath)
Jack Pinson of Living Longbows will demonstrate a depiction of longbow making as it might have looked during the 100 year war in the 15th century. Using a variety of tools, equipment and examples, glean an insight into the various stages of longbow production shaped and tillered from a single stave of timber. The event will be streamed live on Athlone Castle’s Instagram on Saturday, 14th August at 1pm. More…
Cork Heritage Open Day
Cork Heritage Open Day which is a wonderful celebration of built heritage in the Cork City. It will take place virtually on Saturday, 14th August and will allow attendees to explore many of the buildings usually open to the public for this event. More…
Sunday, 15th August 2021
Kilbarron Castle & Church- A virtual visit (Donegal)
Talk on the results and findings of the 2019 Geo-physical Survey of Kilbarron Castle by Earthsounds followed by a question and answer session. More…
An introduction to the wonderful world of Native Irish Orchids (Cork)
An online talk on how to identify and learn about native Irish orchids. The event will take place on Zoom at 7.00pm on 16th August. More…
Monday, 16th August 2021
The Ellen Hutchins DIY Festival 2021
The Ellen Hutchins Festival 2021 is allowing the public to join in wherever they are. Monday, 16th August is day three of the festival and invites attendees to focus on creative adventures with leaves and paint. DIY videos will be released in the morning to introduce the theme and will provide activity ideas. More…
Tuesday, 17th August 2021
Discover the Round Towers of Laois (Laois)
Dig it Kids in association with Laois Heritage Office and Laois Libraries present an online workshop on the round towers and early Christian life in Laois. This online event will take place on Tuesday, 17th August from 11.30am to 1.00pm and is free and suitable for children aged 6 – 12 years. More…
Wednesday 18 August 2021
Lost and Found! The Forgotten Prehistoric Burial Mound of Clourane (Wexford)
Online illustrated talk from Barntown Heritage Group on Wednesday, August 18th at 8pm. Hear about the dramatic rediscovery of a 4,000-year-old burial mound on Forth Mountain. More…
Thursday, 19 August 2021
A Treasure Story with Simone and friends (Offaly)
Storytellers Simone Schuemmelfeder and Vinny the Vulture present a story about hidden treasure as well as horrible cures and witchcraft from County Offaly. This video will go live on the Offaly Libraries Facebook page on Thursday, 19th August at 6.00pm. More…
Glamour and Governance at the National Gallery (Dublin)
Adrian le Harivel, curator of the gallery’s current exhibition, Glamour and Governance, and Donna Rose (Fellow, ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art) will host this online talk on selected dress examples from paintings, illustrations from the archives, and rare books. The event will be available via Zoom on Thursday, 19th August 2021. More…
Friday, 20th August 2021
Farming with Barn Owls – Offaly (Offaly)
BirdWatch Ireland and the Heritage Office of Offaly County Council with the support of the National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government are currently working to better understand the health of Barn Owl populations in the county. At 9am on Friday, 20th August They will release a video celebrating the efforts of local farmers to conserve the Barn Owl and the benefits to biodiversity in Offaly. More…
World War II soldiers of County Longford, with Hugh Farrell (Longford)
Hugh Farrell, a Longford military historian will deliver an online talk looking at the lives of some of the people from Longford who served in World War II for overseas militaries. More…
Saturday, 21st August 2021
Dig It Kids – Live Workshops (Dublin)
A workshop that will look at the Vikings in Ireland. This 90 minute workshop will comprise fun facts, crafts and stories. Offered on Friday, 20th August at 11.00am and on Saturday, 21st at 3pm. More…
Sunday, 22nd August 2021
An Tionscadal Tuí- The Straw Project (Cork)
An online workshop with Sonia Caldwell, who will give a brief introduction to straw craft. A demonstration of basic techniques including ropemaking, braiding and decorative work. More…
The Marl Crusts ‘Krustenstein’ of Lough Carra (Mayo)
· Lough Carra is one of the finest marl lakes in western Europe.. Dr Philip Doddy spent several years studying the marl crusts in Lough Carra. He will share his findings in a pre-recorded presentation which will be uploaded to the Lough Carra Youtube Channel on Water Heritage Day, Sunday, 22 August 2021.2. This event is supported by the Local Authorities Water Programme and the Lough Carra Catchment Association (LCCA). More…
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