Donegal to host highest proportion of Heritage Week 2018 events

Many’s the story will be shared when Donegal hosts 116 heritage events in mid-August for National Heritage Week.

National Heritage Week takes place from Saturday, August 18 to Sunday, August 26 2018 and is coordinated by The Heritage Council and Local Authority Heritage Officers.

The County Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Council has compiled the County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide which is a free, pocket-size booklet that outlines all 116 Heritage Week events taking place across County Donegal and most of them are free.

The Event Guide will be launched at Glenveagh Castle, Glenveagh National Park on Tuesday, August 7 at 12 noon by Cllr. Seamus Ó Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach, Donegal County Council.

Event organisers can collect their copies of the Event Guide at the launch.  Everyone is welcome to attend and light refreshments will be served.

The aims of Heritage Week are to raise awareness of our heritage and to encourage its preservation, conservation and promotion.

County Donegal is the county with the most events taking place per head of population and Culture Division, Donegal County Council has organised, or is hosting over 20 of the 116 ‘Heritage Week’ events already planned in County Donegal.

Events include built heritage open days, guided walks, heritage site visits, fieldtrips, exhibitions, illustrated presentations, workshops, storytelling, historical re-enactments, children’s activities, launch events and traditional skills demonstrations.

 Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer said: “As 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, people are encouraged to ‘make a connection’ with their heritage whether it’s at a local, national or European level.”

“Investment in our cultural, built and natural heritage engages people with place, supports local economies and animates our tourism industry.  People from heritage organisations, community groups, museums, heritage centres and the Culture Division, Donegal County Council have come together again this year to produce a great Heritage Week events programme in County Donegal.

“The theme of this year’s Heritage Week is ‘Share a Story’ and County Donegal has lots of stories to tell about its heritage, landscape, environment, history, folklore, traditional skills and the lives of its inhabitants.  It’s little wonder then that County Donegal is set to be the county with the most Heritage Week events per head of population in Ireland again this year.”

Copies of the County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide will be available in tourist offices, libraries, public service centres, museums and heritage centres next week and on-line at www.heritageweek.ie  or  www.donegalcoco.ie/heritage