Heritage newcomers, enthusiasts and experts of all ages in county Wicklow are being invited to register for in-person events and digital projects for inclusion as part of National Heritage Week 2023.
National Heritage Week, which will run from Saturday, 12th August to Sunday, 20th August, has become one of Wicklow’s, and indeed Ireland’s, largest cultural events.
Events and digital projects can now be uploaded via the Organisers’ Portal on heritageweek.ie.
For an opportunity to be promoted in local media in the run-up to National Heritage Week, you should submit your event before 15th June, though events may be submitted up to the beginning of National Heritage Week on 12th August. Digital heritage projects should be submitted by 22nd August.
In-person events can consist of walking tours, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, craft workshops or other interactive activities. Digital project formats may vary from online talks or exhibitions to videos, podcasts, presentations or blogs, a dedicated website or social media account.
Living Heritage is defined as the “practices, knowledge and skills that have been passed from one generation to the next and are still in use today”. Events and projects might involve the exploration of the traditions of hurling, camogie or Gaelic/Ladies football; a deep dive into the beauty of traditional Irish music, dancing or singing; the preservation of our crafts and skills such as Traveller tinsmithing, lace making and basket weaving; the showcasing of our built heritage traditions such as thatching, lime plastering and dry-stone walling.
Representatives from Na Píobairí Uilleann joined the Heritage Council and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, recently at the launch of National Heritage Week 2023 at their HQ in Dublin to showcase the contribution they make to maintaining and promoting Ireland’s cultural heritage through providing piping and pipe making tuition, organising performances and acting as a focal point for traditional music lovers in Ireland and worldwide.
Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Tommy Annesley, stated: “National Heritage Week is always a hugely popular part of the events calendar for County Wicklow and is a wonderful way for communities and individuals to shine a light on their local place and their local efforts to protect their natural and built heritage”.
Wicklow County Council Chief Executive, Emer O’Gorman, re-iterated Wicklow County Council’s support for National Heritage Week as a means of promoting and celebrating our living heritage through demonstrations, music, re-enactments, tours and talks, saying: “National Heritage Week 2023 will create truly memorable experiences for domestic tourists and locals alike across the country.”
Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, said: “This year’s theme of living heritage provides a great opportunity for us to explore not only our own skills, traditions and culture but also the intangible heritage of our migrant communities and those recently arrived in the country. Heritage is as much about telling stories, swapping skills and passing traditions from one generation to the next, as it is about our built and natural heritage, and there is magnificent potential to inspire each other this year.”
Chair of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, explained: “As well as living heritage, we also want to encourage event and project organisers to view built and natural heritage through the lens of cultural heritage this year. There are backstories to every holy well and ruin across the country, traditions associated with our pilgrim paths and their beautiful natural heritage, and skills associated with our water heritage, from currach making to seine boat building to snap net fishing. As custodians of this heritage, it is incumbent on all of us to examine how we can preserve, sustain and share these unique skills, traditions, art forms and ways of life while engaging contemporary audiences.”
CEO of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, added: “In our recently published Strategic Plan, Our Place in Time, the Heritage Council commits to increasing funding for National Heritage Week as a key means to promote community-led engagement. In the coming years, we will see the impact of that increased support in communities on the ground and reflected in the ingenuity of the events and projects for National Heritage Week in the years ahead.”
Fáilte Ireland is joined by the Office of Public Works (OPW), the Irish Landmark Trust, and the Local Authority Water Programme as partners of National Heritage Week 2023. At the county level, National Heritage Week is coordinated and supported by local authority heritage officers, their colleagues and numerous local heritage groups and organisations.
For advice on hosting and promoting events in county Wicklow contact Deirdre Burns, Wicklow County Council’s Heritage Officer at dburns@wicklowcoco.ie.