Meet the National Heritage Week 2025 Heritage Hero

The Heritage Hero award honours an individual or organisation that has made an outstanding, long-term contribution to the protection and promotion of Ireland’s heritage. Unlike the other categories, this award is based solely on public nominations and is considered a lifetime achievement award.

A pioneering archaeologist, curator, and community leader, Paula Harvey has dedicated more than four decades to preserving and celebrating Ireland’s heritage. Originally from Co Carlow, Paula began her career as an archaeologist in the early 1980s and served as Field Monument Officer with Donegal County Council, where she worked on the protection and interpretation of archaeological monuments throughout the county.

She then went on to become the first curator of Donegal County Museum, an institution she helped to establish with the County Council. Her vision and determination ensured that the county’s stories, artefacts, and traditions were properly recorded and shared with the public for the first

One of Paula’s key achievements came in 2015, when St Conall’s Bell and Shrine returned to Donegal for the first time in more than 150 years. Dating from the 6th and 11th centuries and held in the British Museum since 1889, Paula led the public engagement programme surrounding the artefacts, helping local people understand their significance and encouraging the community to visit and connect with them at Donegal County Museum and the Dolmen Centre.

Donegal GAP

In 2016, Paula founded the Donegal GAP Heritage and History Group, a community-led initiative dedicated to preserving Doon Fort, one of Ireland’s most spectacular heritage sites. Situated on a small island in Loughadoon just outside Ardara, the large drystone fort is thought to have been the residence of the O’Boyle Chieftains, with origins that may date from the late Iron Age to Early Medieval times. The fort, classified as a Western Stone Fort with thick enclosing walls, had fallen into disrepair despite work undertaken in 1954, and sections of the walls were at risk from vegetation and natural decay. Under Paula’s leadership, the group worked closely with landowner Josie McHugh and joined the Heritage Council’s Adopt A Monument Scheme, securing funding to commission an environmental and conservation report, carry out a geophysical survey, and begin the conservation of the walls with guidance from the National Monuments Service. The group also organised training and community engagement events, exploring the tourism potential of the area and raising awareness of the fort’s historic and cultural significance.

A key highlight of this work was the 2019 Creative Ireland mural project, in which Paula and artist Seán Ó Brógáin collaborated with local schools to create a striking public artwork celebrating Doon Fort’s history. The mural continues to connect the local community with their heritage while also drawing visitors to the site, demonstrating how professional expertise combined with grassroots action can safeguard and celebrate Ireland’s heritage for generations to come. Through her combination of professional expertise and grassroots activism, Paula has shown how heritage can unite people and strengthen a sense of place.

The National Heritage Week awards ceremony will be livestreamed here from 12:30pm on Friday 17th October.