Heritage Week is coming down the track and support is available to all event organisers in County Donegal.
The County Donegal Heritage Office is encouraging event organisers to register their events on the Heritage Week website at www.heritageweek.ie by Monday, July 24 in order to avail of free local publicity for their events.
The Heritage Office has also organised a lunchtime event for all Heritage Week event organisers in the County Museum, High Road, Letterkenny at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 28.
Event organisers can collect National Heritage Week-branded merchandise free-of-charge at the event. Food and light refreshments will be served.
“There are about 40 events organised for Heritage Week in County Donegal to date” said Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer. “The Heritage Week programme is County Donegal is shaping up thanks to the work of people from heritage organisations, community groups, museums, heritage centres and the Culture Division, Donegal County Council.
For those events that are registered on the Heritage Week website by Monday, July 24, the County Donegal Heritage Office will sponsor a free listing of Heritage Week events in a local newspaper. At the lunchtime event in the County Museum on Friday, July 28, event organisers can collect a limited supply of National Heritage Week-branded merchandise free-of-charge that includes high-visibility vests, t-shirts, large flags, small flags, bunting, lanyards and pencils. Attendees can also enjoy the ‘In Search of Colmcille’ exhibition by artist Ina Olohan that is based on St. Colmcille’s life and legacy.”
Togra Fiontar agus Cultúr Uladh in partnership with Teach Mhicí Mhic Gabhann,
Teach Mhuiris and Teach Niall Ó Dónaill won the County Heritage Award for Donegal
at the National Heritage Week Awards in 2022 for their Turas na dTithe Oidhreachta
that visited three historic vernacular houses in the Gaeltacht and highlighted their
history and conservation, traditional skills such as creel making, lobster pot repair,
storytelling, traditional music and song as well as demonstrations of the use of
traditional household implements and farming tools.
This year’s theme is ‘Living Heritage’ which centres around the practices, knowledge and skills that have been passed from one generation to the next, and are still in use today. There are a variety of activities planned including traditional skills demonstrations, artisan fairs, guided walks, heritage site visits, fieldtrips, heritage open houses, exhibitions, illustrated presentations, workshops, exploration of archives, commemorative and launch events, genealogy events, historical re-enactments, storytelling and children’s activities. There are two special themed days as well: ‘Wild Child Day’ on Saturday, August 19 and ‘Water Heritage Day’ on Sunday, August 20.
Additional resources for Heritage Week event organisers are available on the Heritage Week website including training and information webinars with useful tips for organising and promoting your events. If you are planning an event for Heritage Week, please contact the County Donegal Heritage Office by e-mail at heritage@donegalcoco.ie or by telephone at (074) 917 2576.
