Event Registration is Now Open!

Heritage Week Limerick 118

Event Registration for National Heritage Week is now open. Any organisation, individual, business, or community group is welcome to organise an event for National Heritage Week.

When you register your event it will be in our website listings and the printed event guide, if registered before 31 May [Please note: the deadline for inclusion in the printed event guide has been extended until Friday, 7th June].

Your event will also be included in a county event guide where available. Event registration for the website listings will remain open until August.

Heritage Week 2019 will take place from 17-25 August and this year's theme is Pastimes | Past Times. We encourage you to take a stroll through history and explore how our free time has evolved in often fascinating ways.

Coordinated by the Heritage Council, National Heritage Week is Ireland’s most popular cultural event and in 2019 half a million people are expected to participate in over 2,200 heritage events. National Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days which promote Europe’s common cultural heritage.

National Heritage Week has two special themed days:

  • Wild Child Day - Wednesday 21 August. On this day, event organisers are encouraged to host events specifically for children, from history hunts and storytelling sessions to crafts workshops.
  • Water Heritage Day - Sunday 25 August. Together with the Local Authority Waters Programme, we celebrate our most precious natural resource in all its forms, from the sea, to rivers, lakes and ponds.

What to get involved as an event organiser? Not sure where to begin? Start here!

100 Event Ideas 2019

Guide to Registering your Event

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The National Heritage Week Awards 2026 ceremony took place on Thursday, 29 October 2026, celebrating the individuals, community groups and organisations whose outstanding events helped showcase and protect Ireland's built, natural and cultural heritage.

The 2026 Awards recognise the most engaging and inspiring events from National Heritage Week 2026. Over the course of nine days from 15–23 August, communities across Ireland came together to celebrate local heritage through walks, talks, workshops, exhibitions, performances and family events. This year's theme, Heritage at Risk, encouraged people to explore and protect the places, traditions, skills and stories that form an important part of our shared heritage.
Gearoid O Brien NHW Hero 2026

National Heritage Week 2026 Heritage Hero Announced

The Heritage Council is delighted to share that the 2026 National Heritage Week Heritage Hero has been awarded to Gearóid O'Brien for his lifelong dedication to preserving, promoting and celebrating the heritage of Athlone and Ireland.

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.