The new County Donegal Heritage Plan has been placed on public review until Monday the 5th of June.
The strategic plan will cover the period from 2023 until 2030 and has been prepared by the County Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Council and the County Donegal Heritage Forum following a period of public submissions last year.
Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer said: “Issues such as the need for additional resources for heritage services, support for local communities in the management of heritage, raising awareness of heritage, promoting best conservation practices, commissioning research on aspects of heritage to inform decision-making and greater recognition for the intrinsic value of heritage were raised during the public consultation period.
“The new County Donegal Heritage Plan addresses aspects of our natural heritage (such as wildlife, habitats, flora, fauna and geology), our built heritage (such as historic buildings, landscapes, parks and gardens shaped by human design), our
archaeology (such as monuments, ancient objects and shipwrecks) and our cultural inheritance (such as skills, folklore, traditions and archives).
“It will direct heritage priorities, resources and funding for heritage in the county over the lifetime of the plan.”
In order to achieve this aim, five strategic objectives have been set out:
- Improve resources for heritage services through an integrated approach to
delivery - Engage and support communities in the [re]discovery and management of our
heritage - Raise awareness and knowledge by communicating a better understanding of heritage;
- Provide advice and promote best practice
- Commission research and gather heritage data.
A review of the existing County Donegal Heritage Plan has shown that over €1,061,000 was spent on the implementation of County Heritage Plan actions between 2014 and 2022 inclusive with 63% of this funding secured from external sources of funding, in particular from The Heritage Council.
Of the 68 actions in the previous County Donegal Heritage Plan, it is estimated that three-quarters of the actions were delivered.
The Heritage Officer will be holding a series of public drop-in sessions on the new County Donegal Heritage Plan before the public review period closes.
The drop-in sessions will take place in Bundoran Community Library & Donegal County Museum on Saturday 27th May; Twin Towns Library, Stranorlar on Tuesday 30th May; Leabharlann Phobail Ghaoth Dobhair on Wednesday 31st May and Carndonagh Community Library on Thursday 1st June.
Following the public review period, the County Donegal Heritage Forum will finalise the plan and present it to Donegal County Council for adoption at its meeting on Monday 24th July.
Further details on the draft County Donegal Heritage Plan are available from the County Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Council, Station Island, Lifford on (074) 917 2576 or on the County Donegal Heritage Office website at www.donegalcoco.ie/heritage.
