National Heritage Week 2021 County Winners
This year, the Heritage Council once again recognised the efforts of individuals, families and community groups from across the island to ensure the preservation, protection and promotion of Ireland’s built, natural and cultural heritage. The County Award category was presented to the most successful heritage project from each county around the island.
Armagh
SPAB Ireland claimed the prize in County Antrim. Their project, ‘Vernacular Irish Buildings Campaign’, focused on the conservation of Irish vernacular buildings through three events. The series of events consisted of a podcast launch, an online lecture and a hands-on restoration event.
Carlow
Phil and Don Heenan & The Local Authority Waters Programme claimed the prize in County Carlow. Their project, ‘Celebrate the River’, focused on recounting the lives of the Dineens on their Heritage Farm and the importance of the River to their lives and their farm.
Cavan
Jampa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Retreat Centre claimed the prize in County Cavan. Their project, ‘Stories of Owendoon’, focused on recording the reminiscences of old neighbours of Owendoon house and farm in former times.
Clare
Burrenbeo Trust claimed the prize in County Clare. Their project, ‘Heritage Week Programme 2021’, focused on presenting a number of recorded and unrecorded monuments which range from possibly Neolithic right up to early modern times on Lismoher Burren farm
Cork City
Cork Traveller Women's Network claimed the prize in Cork City. Their project, ‘A History of Irish Travellers’, an online animation, focused on celebrating the history and heritage of Irish Travellers through an animated video.
Cork County
Reverand Kingsley Sutton, Church of the Ascension Timoleague, claimed the prize in County Cork. The project, ‘Amazing mosaics at the Church of the Ascension, Timoleague’, focused on presenting mosaics and other features of the church through lectures by stained glass expert Finola Finlay.
Derry
Leonor Bethencourt claimed the prize in County Derry. Their project, ‘Strabane: Landmarks, Meeting Points and Memories’, focused on presenting the local history of Strabane through photography, personal stories and musical pieces.
Donegal
Oideas Gael claimed the prize in County Donegal. Its project Mapping the heritage of Gleann Cholm Cille Parish, focused on creating an interactive digital map showcasing the rich heritage of minor placenames in Gleann Cholm Cille.
Down
Unlocking the Vikings, Heritage Walks NI and Strangford Lough Activity Centre claimed the prize in County Down. Their project, ‘Paddle back in time in Strangford Lough’, focused on exploring the tangible and intangible culture of Strangford Lough through tales told whilst kayaking.
Dublin City
The Irish Jewish Museum claimed the prize in Dublin City. Its project, ‘Highlights from the Photographic Collection of the Irish Jewish Museum’, focused on the presentation of a selection of images from Jewish life in Ireland over the past 130 years.
Dublin: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
The Museum of Childhood claimed the prize in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Its project, ‘History of childhood from medieval times to the eighteenth century’ focused on the history of childhood in Ireland through a webinar presentation.
Dublin Fingal
Naul Community Council claimed the prize in Fingal. Its project, ‘Know Your Naul Heritage Week Programme’ focused on a week-long discovery of All Things Naul through a series of online and in-person events.
Dublin South Dublin
Irish Crochet Lace Revival claimed the prize in South Dublin. Its project, 'Clondalkin's Tangible Threads - Irish crochet in the world of haute couture’ focused stories of the women who were involved in the development of Irish Crochet in Clondalkin.
Fermanagh
Elliott/Osborne collective claimed the prize in County Fermanagh. Their project, ‘A Milestone to behold’, focused on the reclaiming of milestones along the old Gola and Crom former coach roads in County Fermanagh.
Galway City
Friends of Merlin Woods claimed the prize in Galway City. Their project, ‘Heritage Week in Merlin Woods, 2021’, focused on the conservation of Merlin woods through a series of walks and talks.
Galway County
Skehana & District Heritage claimed the prize in County Galway. Their project, ‘Daoine & Áit’, focused on sharing the area’s built heritage through the provision of complimentary postcards to houses in the area.
Kerry
Tralee Rowing Club claimed the prize in County Kerry. Their project, ‘An ecological investigation of the Tralee Ship Canal’, focused on the ecology and biodiversity and through an outdoor display.
Kildare
General Paints Group claimed the prize in County Kildare. Its project, ‘If These Walls Could Talk’, focused on exploring the bleak and vast history of the Celbridge Workhouse through video.
Kilkenny
Tullahought Community Development Ltd. claimed the prize in County Kilkenny. Its project, ‘Tullahought Church Inside Out & Upside Down’, focused on showcasing the features of the church and community in period garb through a local documentary.
Laois
Col. Fitzmaurice Conservation Committee claimed the prize in County Laois. Its project, ‘The Portlaoise Plane Returns Home’, focused on returning a 1912 plane built by the Aldritts brothers to Portlaoise.
Leitrim
The Organic Centre claimed the prize in County Leitrim. Its project, ‘Heritage Week Programme 2021’, focused on natural heritage through a series of events from traditional story telling to biodiversity talks.
Limerick
Ormston House claimed the prize in County Limerick. Its project, ‘Women of Limerick’, focused on sharing the stories of thirty women of Limerick who have been mapped across the city at important locations on a mobile app.
Longford
Scéalta Beo and Creative Ardagh claimed the prize in County Longford. Their project, 'Restoring the Balance', focused on a collection of living stories: local plant heritage and lore shared through a series of videos.
Louth
Dromiskin Tidy Towns claimed the prize in County Louth. Their project, ‘Dromiskin's Famous Daughter, Traveller & Farming Heritage’, focused on the stories of inspirational ladies who championed adversity in both the farming and traveller communities through a series of panels placed in heritage park.
Mayo
Joyce Country & Western Lakes GeoEnterprise claimed the prize in County Mayo. Their project, ‘Bronze age experience near Finny and Lough Nafooey’, focused on Bronze Age ‘Fulacht Fiadh’ and hilltop enclosures through a video launch.
Meath
Wild About Navan claimed the prize in County Meath. Its project, ‘Our Outdoor Living Heritage Museum’, focused on exploring Navan’s geological heritage and how it set the scene for built heritage.
Monaghan
Fionnuala & Liam O’Connor claiming the prize in County Monaghan. Their Project, ‘Castleshanehistory.ie’, focused on the history of the Castleshane estate through a series of materials featured on Castleshanehistory.ie.
Offaly
Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival claimed the prize in County Offaly. Their project, ‘Empty columns are a place to dream’, focused on bringing 18 collage artists from across the world together to research, discuss, investigate and respond to the Cumberland Pillar in Emmet Square Birr, its history, and contemporary issues relating to place, context and colonial past.
Roscommon
Ballinlough Granlahan Heritage Group claimed the prize in County Roscommon. Its project, ‘Ballinlough Crannog Digital Interpretative Project’, focused on using modern media to showcase Ballinlough’s hidden crannog on Lough O’Flynn
Sligo
Sligo Neolithic Landscapes group claimed the prize in County Sligo. Its project, ‘Living among the Cairns’, focused on capturing people’s experience of their interactions with the outstanding heritage surrounding Sligo’s Neolithic passage tombs.
Tipperary
Slieveardagh Mining Interest Group, Virtual Old School Mining Museum claimed the prize in County Tipperary. Its project, ‘Virtual Field Trip of the Slieveardagh Coalfield’, focused on guided tours of the now abandoned mining sites around Slieveardagh Hills.
Waterford
Waterford County Museum/Gallowshill Project claimed the prize in County Waterford. Its project, ‘Gallows Hill Exhibition & Artefacts’, focused on exploring the story behind Gallowshill and some of the unique artefacts uncovered during community excavations at the hill over the past few years.
Westmeath
Athlone No. 1 Gun Battery Heritage Group claimed the prize in County Westmeath. Its project, ‘Athlone No. 1 Gun Battery - A deafening silence’, focused on Athlone's sole surviving gun battery from the Napoleonic period and the communities' efforts to restore and conserve the site.
Wexford
Barntown Heritage Group claimed the prize in County Wexford. Its project, ‘Heritage Week Programme of Events 2021,’, focused on two projects aimed at conserving Wexford rich and diverse historical heritage
Wicklow
Bray Cualann Historical Society, claimed the prize in County Wicklow. Its project, ‘Boghall Area, Bray’, ‘focused on social and cultural history of the Boghall area of Bray from 1744.
