Heritage Keepers Projects
We are incredibly proud and grateful of all our previous Heritage Keepers participants, who have shown an inspiring amount of pride in their place and proven themselves to be wonderful stewards of their commmunity. Here are some of the actions they have taken to promote or preserve their local built, cultural, or natural heritage.
Connemara West Heritage Group, Galway
Radio Programme
After researching a number of cillíní (children's burial grounds) with local archaeologist Michael Gibbons over 2 days, Connemara West Heritage Group photographed and recorded the cillín sites. From this, they made two 1 hour long programmes which were broadcast on Connemara Community Radio in May and June of 2024
Rathmullan Heritage Booklet
Clonmany Heritage Group, Donegal
Meet and Make Clonmany Heritage Day
Clonmany Heritage held a Meet and Make day to celebrate their rich heritage. The old Market House was the central venue for the children's workshops, bread and salt making demonstration, and the one day exhibition organised by the Clonmany Genealogy and Heritage group. A local historian hosted a well attended guided walk and talk tour. The willow artist was making willow toys with the kids. The weaving demonstration was enjoyed by the many people who attended the photo exhibitions.
Laragh Heritage Trail
Women's Collective Ireland, Wexford
Flora, Fabric and Feminism
WCI Wexford created a tapestry to celebrate women's historical roles as healers using traditional wildflowers and plants native to Ireland, highlighting the medicinal properties of plants. The tapestry depicts the female form and the main focus is the dress she is wearing which is decorated with embroidered panels. Each woman embroidered at least one panel, illustrating a wild/native plant with healing properties in the area of the body it treats. The background outlines of the piece are embroidered in couch stitch to represent water, air, earth and sun. They also put some bees and butterflies to demonstrate the ecological importance of wild and native flowers for wildlife.
St Raphael's Day Centre Boat Upcycling
Tubber NS, Clare
Bunakippaun Woods: History, Folklore and Biodiversity
The focus of the project was Bunakippaun woodland which Tubber N.S. uses many times throughout the year as an outdoor classroom. The class worked with David McGrath, a Heritage in Schools expert on a number of guided walks focused on the trees in the woodland, and conducted interviews with people in the locality on the woodland from which the children wrote up reports. The whole school worked with artist Ana Colmer, focusing on drawing/sketching aspects of Bunakippaun. All of this work was put together in a published book.