Heritage Week - Celebrate Water as Heritage during National Heritage Week 2021

 

Coastline at Adrigole, Bantry, Co. Cork. Photo by Catherine Seale-Duggan

 

This year, local heritage groups and organisers, families, communities, and individuals have created almost 600 projects that are free to explore online through the National Heritage Week website. In County Cork, special projects and events are taking place in Milford, Adrigole, Midleton, Inchigeelagh, Glen River Park and many many more! For information on projects and events for Water Heritage Day in County Cork visit: https://www.heritageweek.ie/projects

Commenting on the importance of water as heritage Catherine Seale-Duggan, Community Water Officer for County Cork said: "The heritage and history of Cork has been shaped by the sea and our magnificent rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Local communities really value places with good water quality and want to enhance them and ensure they can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. We all know the health benefits we get from spending time at a river, lake, or beach. These local water bodies are part of our heritage, but they must also be part of our future. The Local Authority Waters Programme is committed to supporting local communities and ensuring issues affecting water quality are actioned and resolved. Because we all benefit from having good quality water.”

Water Heritage Day occurs on Sunday 22nd August and marks the last day of National Heritage Week 2021. It is a chance to celebrate the heritage and history of Ireland’s magnificent rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters. Please check the website to see local events near you!

There is also a special hour long webinar on Tuesday the 17th of August at 1:30pm to delve into a world of watery heritage. Titled “From Salmon to Holy Wells – Exploring the Connections between Water and Heritage”, the webinar will explore how humans have used and interacted with water in a vast number of ways throughout history.

The speakers for the webinar are Bernadette Doherty, Community Archaeologist with Galway County Council, Cormac McCarthy, Environment and Heritage Officer with Waterways Ireland and Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, Dublin Port Company. To register, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/2TFyyxv. Please submit any questions for the speakers to: cseale@lawaters.ie

For information on projects and events for Water Heritage Day in County Cork visit: https://www.heritageweek.ie/projects

You can also access Stories from the Waterside, a Water Heritage Day project from 2020, at: https://lawaters.ie/stories-from-the-waterside/