Over 120 events are taking place for National Heritage Week in County Donegal from Saturday, August 18 to Sunday, August 26, 2018.
The mostly-free cultural exhibition can be viewed in the pocket-size County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide produced by the County Donegal Heritage Office of Donegal County Council.
Speaking at the launch of the County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide at Glenveagh Castle on Tuesday, August 7, Cllr. Seamus Ó Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, encouraged people to interact with heritage at the local, national and European levels.
“Those who work in heritage organisations, museums and heritage centres and live in historic houses play their part by making the heritage that they care for more accessible through the Heritage Week programme of events,” he said.
“As 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, this year’s Heritage Week events encourage people to ‘make a connection’ and engage with heritage at the local, national and European levels. The people who organise these events are enthusiastic, committed and often volunteer their time in order to make National Heritage Week the great success it is in County Donegal.”
Pictured at the launch of the County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide at Glenveagh Castle are (from left to right): Tres Connaghan (Glenveagh National Park), Cllr. Seamus Ó Domhnaill (Cathaoirleach, Donegal County Council) & Eileen Burgess (Culture Division Manager, Donegal County Council).
This year’s theme for Heritage Week is ‘Share a Story’ and County Donegal Heritage Officer, Joseph Gallagher, who helps coordinate the events, insists Donegal has ‘lots of stories to tell’.
“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,” he said.
Donegal County Council will host 20 of the 116 events taking place across the national event.
“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 the Culture Division, Donegal County Council has organised, or is hosting over 20 of the 116 ‘Heritage Week’ events already planned in County Donegal,” Gallagher said.
“Events include built heritage open days, guided walks, heritage site visits, field trips, exhibitions, illustrated presentations, workshops, storytelling, historical re-enactments, children’s activities, launch events and traditional skills demonstrations. National Heritage Week is an integral part of European Heritage Days celebrated in 50 countries across Europe.”
One such event, scheduled to take place in Moville, Inishowen, County Donegal is the restoration of a traditional boat on August 25.
The Moville Men’s Shed Group, which is led by master boatbuilder, Brian Mc Donald will launch the St. Anthony, which was donated by a local Donegal family.
Local salmon fishermen will also be demonstrating their disappearing fishing skills on the St. Anthony.
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