National Heritage Week 2018

The Heritage Council has today (29.05.18) issued a call for event registrations for National Heritage Week 2018, which will take place from 18th – 26th August. This year, the programme of activities will be a highlight of Ireland’s celebration of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, which encourages communities throughout Ireland to make a connection with Irish and European heritage.

18th August to 26th August 2018

Events registered before the extended deadline of Thursday, 7th June will be included in a special printed event guide, which will be distributed across Ireland to OPW sites, museums, libraries, local authorities, selected hotels and tourist offices. Event details will also be included in a county guide, where available.

This year’s call to action for Heritage Week activities is ‘Share a Story, Make a Connection’, encouraging everyone – from children to grandparents and those who have chosen to make Ireland their home – to get involved, and to share heritage stories in new ways. The aim of National Heritage Week is to build heritage awareness and appreciation, while shining a light on the great work that is carried out in communities to preserve and promote our natural, built and cultural heritage.

Among the programme of events will be the following two special themed days:
· Wednesday, 22nd August is ‘Wild Child Day’, dedicated to wild children everywhere. On this day, event organisers are encouraged to host events specifically for children, from history hunts and storytelling sessions to crafts workshops.
· Sunday, 26th August, the last day of Heritage Week, is ‘Water Heritage Day’. Together with the Local Authority Waters & Communities Office, this day will be a celebration of our most precious natural resource in all its forms, from the sea, to rivers, lakes and garden ponds.

Encouraging event registrations, Chairman of the Heritage Council, Michael Parsons said: “National Heritage Week is a fantastic event, and we are delighted to see it grow in popularity year on year. The many exciting events organised by people around the country offer a wealth of opportunity to find out more about our nature, history and culture by taking part in tours, walks, talks, exhibitions, outdoor activities and much more.

“This year is very special because we celebrate not only National Heritage Week but also the European Year of Cultural Heritage, a wonderful initiative that seeks to explore our connections with our European neighbours and to promote a sense of belonging to a common European space. We would like to encourage people to submit their Heritage Week events before Thursday, 7th June and help make this year’s event the best and biggest yet.”

Event registration for the printed Heritage Week guide closes on Thursday, 7th June. Events can be registered on www.heritageweek.ie. All registered events are also listed on this website.