17/08/2009 -
2009 Heritage Week
Heritage Week 2009 - ‘Be part of it – it’s part of you !’
From the 22 - 30 August 2009, Heritage Week will be celebrated in Sligo, with many events happening throughout the county. Every year millions of Europeans visit historical monuments and sites throughout Europe on European Heritage Days. These are a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union in which over forty countries participate each year. In Ireland, we celebrate European Heritage Days with a full week of events throughout Heritage Week. Heritage Week is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council with support from the Department of Environment, Heritage, Local Authority Heritage Officers and Fáilte Ireland. The main aim of Heritage Week is to foster awareness of our built, natural and cultural heritage thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation. In addition to the events listed, remember that County Sligo has many more heritage sites and museums/heritage centres that are open during Heritage Week so there should be something to suit everyone!
What’s happening in Sligo?
From guided walks, lectures, open days at historic houses, to music and craic, there’s something of interest for everyone during Heritage Week 2009. A series of Heritage Talks will take place in the Diamond Coast Hotel in Enniscrone on Saturday 22nd August, topics covered will include archaeology, historic buildings and the ecology and geology of the surrounding area. The event is being organised by Enniscrone Community Development and Connacht Archaeological Services.
There’s lots happening on Sunday 23rd August, when the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group will hold a land based Whale Watch Ireland at Mullaghmore Head from 2-5pm, Sligo Field Club will hold a Field Outing to O’Dowd Country, taking in the history and historical sites of Easky, Kilglass, Rathlee, Lacken and Castleconnor (meet at Corballa RC Church at 2.15pm) and Sligo Abbey will host a music event featuring Tucon at 3pm.
- Minke Whale
On Tuesday 25th August (12-4pm), Coopershill House, Riverstown, Sligo will be the location for a guided tour of one of Ireland’s finest country house hotels in the company of Simon O’Hara. Later the same day at 8.15pm, IT Sligo will be the venue for a talk on ‘Bridges of County Sligo – Preserving the Past for the Future’ by Gary Salter, Chartered Engineer, Sligo County Council. The talk will feature lots of photographs relating to public road bridges that predate 1900 and the work involved in maintaining them.
Sligo Folk Park will hold an open day on Wednesday 26th August (10am-5pm), when there will have an opportunity to discover the village street and to step back in time at Millview House.
Also on Wednesday evening, Wendy Lyons will give a talk on ‘Hazelwood House – The estate as part of the life of Sligo’, which will take place in Sligo Education Centre at 8.15pm. While on Saturday 29th August, Beatrice Mcdonald and Paul Allen will lead a guided walk of Hazelwood to explore the flora, fauna and history of the woodlands - meet at the car park, Half Moon Bay, Hazelwood, Sligo at 3pm.
Who do you think you are?
The recent popularisation of family history research on television has led to a huge interest in individuals carrying out research into their family history. County Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Society are responding to this increased interest by holding a series of demonstrations which will highlight the main research techniques available to anyone interested in finding out more about their family history. From using computer databases and the internet, to reading records on microfilm, scanning old photographs and family tree design, there will be lots of advice available on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th August at the County Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Society, Aras Reddan, Temple Street, Sligo. There will be two sessions per day, starting at 11am and 2.30pm.
Calling all Nature Detectives!
A Nature Detectives afternoon will be held on Thursday 27th August from 2.30 – 4.30pm at Half Moon Bay, Hazelwood. The event will be suitable for families and particularly 7-12 year olds. Activities will include Mini Beast Hunting, Tree Trail Challenge, Bird Spotting and Nature Art Gallery. All equipment will be supplied and the afternoon will be facilitated by Martina Butler and Michael Bell. Children must be accompanied by an adult and as places are limited, booking is essential. To book, contact Siobhán Ryan Heritage Officer, Sligo County Council 071-9111 226.
-Temple House, Sligo
Roderick Perceval will give a brief tour of Temple House, Sligo on Thursday 27th August from 2-4pm (Admission €5). The house today looks down on its own ancestral dwelling, in the shape of a picturesque, ivy-covered ruin of buildings in brick and stone. There is little doubt that this is where the Templars built their fortress in 1181, but the scene in Temple House over eight hundred years has been one of unending rebuilding and refurbishing and the stones of the first castle have been recycled more than once.
Bat Talk and Walk
Bats are fascinating animals and go about their daily lives unnoticed by many people. Bats often come to the attention of the public when they fly into a house in the summer, when they emerge from buildings at dusk on warm summer evenings or when homeowners are planning roof works to existing buildings. A bat talk and walk in the company of Dr. Caroline Sheil will take place on Thursday 27th August at 7pm. Venue - Lecture Theatre A0004, IT Sligo, Ballinode, Sligo, with a bat walk to take place at Hazelwood immediately after the lecture. Please bring a torch !
Countess Markievicz - A Lecture
Countess Markievicz (née Gore-Booth; 1868 –1927), was a politician, revolutionary nationalist, suffragette and socialist. She was the first woman elected to the British House of Commons, though she did not take her seat and along with the other Sinn Féin TDs formed the first Dáil Éireann. She was also the first woman in Europe to hold a cabinet position (Minister of Labour of the Irish Republic, 1919–1922). On Friday 28th August at 8.15pm, Sligo Field Club will host a lecture by Anne Haverty, author of ‘Constance Markievicz: An Independent Life’ (1988) in Sligo Education Centre.
Open Days and Field Outings on Sunday 30th August
Sunday 30th August is the last day of Heritage Week 2009, so before school starts back take the opportunity to explore the heritage of our beautiful county at one of the many events taking place on that day. The Schoolhouse, Annaghmore is a self catering property that has been carefully restored by the Irish Landmark Trust. Self guided tours of the property will take place on Sunday from 10am-4pm.
Banada Development Agency will hold an event entitled ‘Comhar Cumann Bheann Fhada’ at Banada Peace Gardens also on Sunday from 2-4pm.
‘Join us by the fire with a cup of tea and a sample of traditional food on Sunday 30th from 2-5pm’ is the invitation from Strandhill ICA. Traditional music and storytelling in Dolly’s Cottage - a 200 year old cottage. Admission free and donations welcome.
- Dolly's Cottage
For anyone with any energy left at the end of what will be a busy Heritage Week 2009, Sligo Field Club invite you to join them on a field outing to the Parish of Calry. Led by Jim Foran, the outing will visit some of the megaliths, cashels and early Christian sites of Calry. Meet at Calry RC Church carpark at 2.15pm and find out more about the rich history and heritage of the Calry area.
Heritage Week Events Brochure Available
An events brochure has been produced by the Heritage Office, Sligo County Council in partnership with the local community and event organisers across the county, which highlights all the events taking place in Sligo during Heritage Week 2009. The Event Guide is widely available at public venues throughout the county and full details of Heritage Week events taking place in Sligo can also be accessed through www.heritageweek.ie or www.sligococo.ie/services/heritage/newsandevents/ All events are free, except where indicated, and for some events booking may be required due to limited capacity.
Heritage Week is an opportunity for communities to celebrate our shared heritage and this is highlighted through the many community and heritage groups who have organised events for Heritage Week in Sligo. ‘Heritage Week 2009 - Be part of it – it’s part of you !’– is the message from the Heritage Office of Sligo County Council ahead of Heritage Week 2009, with so many opportunities this year for everyone to get involved in celebrating Sligo’s unique heritage.
For More Information
Heritage Week in Sligo is co-ordinated by the Heritage Office, Sligo County Council in partnership with the local community. For further information contact Siobhán Ryan, Heritage Officer, Sligo County Council, Riverside, Sligo, Telephone: 071 9111226 or email: heritage@sligococo.ie
