National Heritage Week Awards Nominees
The Heritage Council is delighted to announce the nominees for the National Heritage Week Awards 2023. Exploring all areas of heritage across six categories, the nominees represent the broad spectrum of events and projects for National Heritage Week 2023.
Winners have been announced with the full ceremony available to view below.
Living Heritage
The Living Heritage Award recognises events and projects that successfully encouraged a greater appreciation of an element of our Living Heritage- traditional crafts, skills and practices. There are three nominees in the Living Heritage category.
This year's nominees are:
The Living Heritage of Maharees by the Maharees Conservation Association CLG (Co. Kerry)
St Brochans Well, Bracknagh by Bracknagh Heritage Society (Co. Offaly)
Treasures in Our Bogs by Donegal GAP Heritage and History Group (Co. Donegal)
Inclusive Heritage
The Inclusive Heritage Award is awarded to the event that made a special effort to share heritage with everyone in the community, including those who are: new to heritage, those who do not have local roots, those who have additional accessibility needs and encourage intergenerational activity.
This year's nominees are:
Dúchas Beo by Knights and Conquests Heritage Centre (Co. Longford)
"Seeing Without Sight" Exhibition by The Hunt Museum (Limerick city)
Sanctuary in Nature & Heritage Excursion at Phoenix Park by Sanctuary in Nature & Meath Partnership (Dublin city)
Wild Child Award
Sponsored by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Wild Child Award is awarded to the event or project that successfully encouraged children and families to get outdoors so that they can enjoy and explore the heritage and biodiversity in their locality; to look at the world around them differently; to open their eyes to the diverse beauty of the landscape in their area.
This year's nominees are:
River Brosna Heritage Festival by Ballycumber Tidy Towns
Biodiversity Art and Craft workshop with artist Maria Hitchcox by Athenry Castle OPW
Be a Marine Biologist for a Day by Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
Water Heritage
The Water Heritage Award is kindly sponsored by Local Authority Water Programme. The Water Heritage Award recognises the event or project that best explored how a canal, river, lake or sea shaped the heritage of a locality or celebrates water as an integral part of our natural heritage, as well as being a vital part of our future, or reflects on what more we can do to conserve this valuable resource.
The nominees are:
Explore Louisburgh's River Life by Climate Action Louisburgh Locality (Co. Mayo)
Culdaff River Heritage Workshop by Inishowen Rivers Trust/ Loughs Agency (Co. Donegal)
Life beneath the Waves by Tralee Bay Experience Fenit (Co. Kerry)
Irish Language Award
The Irish Language Award is awarded to the event or project that took place through the Irish Language and/or encouraged participation or activity in the Irish language.
This year's nominees are:
Cnuasach Leabhar Sheáin Mhic Aoidh by Áras Sheáin Bhain (Co. Donegal)
Feile Saibhreas na Síoraíochta by Togra Fiontar & Cultúr Uladh CTR (Co. Donegal)
Sustainability Award
The Sustainability Award is awarded to an event or project that made efforts to incorporates environmentally friendly practices to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the natural world or an event that provided education on the impact of climate change and good sustainability practice.
This year's nominees are:
Woodland and Biodiversity Walk by Altidore Castle (Co. Wicklow)
Upcycled Streetscape by Nenagh Arts Centre (Co. Tipperary)
SPAB Ireland Working Party 2023 by SPAB Ireland (Co. Cavan)