Brushing up on rich local heritage
The programme of events for Westmeath’s National Heritage Week offering is shaping up to be a wonderful representation of the vibrant culture of the county.
Running from Saturday August 16 to Sunday August 24, it celebrates the cultural, built and natural heritage of the county.
Ciara Brennan of Westmeath County Council is one of the local authority staff members working on coordinating the line-up. “One of the biggest challenges is ensuring broad representation,” Ciara said, “Westmeath has a wide ranging heritage from ancient archaeological sites and grand estates to music traditions and folklore. We aim to reflect that full breadth, but with limited time it can be difficult to include everything in one week.”
The strength of National Heritage Week is down to the volunteers facilitating events. “Community involvement is central to the success of National Heritage Week. In fact, the week wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible passion, knowledge, and creativity of local people.
“Each year, we see dozens of events across the county that are entirely community driven, from historical walking tours and storytelling evenings to biodiversity projects and the sharing of old photographs, crafts, and traditions. These events reflect the unique identity of each locality and often bring to light stories and heritage that might otherwise remain hidden.”
There are several must see items on the Westmeath list. A biodiversity workshop entitled ‘Preserving the past through our food culture’ will be held in Moate Library on August 19, (2-3.15pm) and Mullingar Library on August 21 (11am-12.15pm). This free biodiversity workshop offers an opportunity to discover traditional food preservation techniques many of us grew up with such as pickling, drying, and making jams and preserves.
The Fore Abbey family tour (August 23, 2-3pm) commences at Fore Abbey car park. Join historian Bryn Coldrick for a family friendly tour of some of the sites and stories of Fore. Ruth Illingworth will guide the Mullingar industrial heritage walking tour on August 22 (2-3.30pm), exploring the industrial heritage of the town.
Sites visited will include the location of the saw mills, the railway station, the canal harbour and the former breweries and bleach green.
Ciara said the programme has something for everyone. “It’s hard to single out favourites with so many fantastic events on offer, every event on the programme has something special to offer which reflect the rich diversity of Westmeath’s heritage.”
Check the full listings on heritageweek.ie or pick up a printed guide from council offices or libraries.