FROM THE WELL 2018 SHORT STORY LIBRARY COMPETITION

The Cork County Library and Arts Service is launching the From the Well Short Story competition 2018  The competition invites entries from writers aged 18 and over who are registered library members in any country. Twenty stories will be shortlisted by writer Billy O’Callaghan and will be announced end of April 2018. A winner from the shortlisted stories will be selected by a panel of judges including Billy O’Callaghan, Claire Kilroy and Eimear Ryan. The winning story and the nineteen other shortlisted stories will be published in an anthology in June 2018. The winning story title will be the title of this publication. The winning writer will be awarded a place on a week long workshop of their choice at the West Cork Literary Festival 2018 and €250 towards accommodation.

Conditions of Entry
Entrants may submit only one short story which must be the original work of the author. Stories must be less than 2,000 words.  Stories must be previously unpublished and not accepted for future publication elsewhere. Stories must be typed and entries must be accompanied by an entry form. The name of the entrant must not appear on the story itself. The Judges’ decision is final. Copyright of each story will remain with the author; however Cork County Library and Art Service reserves the right to one publication and/or one broadcast of shortlisted stories
For further information please contact Sinead Donnelly, County Arts Office (021) 4346210 

Entries should be sent to Arts Office, Library Headquarters, Carrigrohane Road, Cork or sinead.donnelly@corkcoco.ie. The closing date for receipt of entries is 5pm on Friday 16th February  2018.

NEW GRAVEYARD RECORDS ONLINE VIA THE SKIBBEREEN HERITAGE WEBSITE

Records for three West Cork graveyards are now available online for the first time. The burial registers for Brade, Schull and Allihies graveyards have been digitised and are on the Skibbereen Heritage Centre website www.skibbheritage.com. The 'Skibbereen Funeral Register' is also newly uploaded to the website and this records over 2,000 burials in various graveyards in the Skibbereen area.
With the co-operation of Cork County Council, Skibbereen Heritage Centre has been digitising burial registers for West Cork graveyards and now has a total of 16 burial registers online. Those available are Abbeystrowry, Ardagh, Ballymoney, Dursey, Brade, Castlehaven, Durrus, Fanlobbus, Kilcaskan, Killbarry, Kilmacabea, Schull, Tullagh and Whiddy Island. Some of the registers only cover a few years of burials but all information available is now freely available worldwide.
The Skibbereen Heritage Centre website also includes the survey results of 12 local graveyards, Abbeymahon and Chapel Lane in Skibbereen, 2 in Aughadown, Caheragh, Castlehaven, Drinagh, Drimoleague and 2 more in Kilcoe.
Other records online on the Skibbereen Heritage Centre website include land records, the Tithe Applotments, Estate Records, Loan Funds and some school registers. The Centre will continue to digitise local records, including other burial registers, as they become available.

TOWARDS A MARINE SPATIAL PLAN FOR IRELAND

A roadmap for the development of Ireland’s first marine spatial plan - Towards a Marine Spatial Plan for Ireland was published recently by Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy and Minister Damien English. Marine Spatial Planning is a way of looking at how we use the marine area and planning how best to use it into the future. MSP will try to balance the different demands for using the sea including the need to protect the marine environment. It's about planning when and where human activities take place at sea. It’s about ensuring these activities are as efficient and sustainable as possible. Minister Murphy said that “Ireland is a maritime nation and we derive so much of our cultural, social and economic identity from our relationship with the seas that surround us. We are fortunate to have one of the largest and richest marine resources of all EU Member States. The Government has set out clear and ambitious objectives under Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (HOOW) - Ireland’s integrated marine plan - to enable our marine potential to be realised.  For example, we aim to double the value of our ocean wealth to 2.4% of GDP by 2030 and increase the turnover from our ocean economy to exceed €6.4bn by 2020’.The MSP for Ireland, which will be developed over the next 3 years, will provide a coherent framework in which specific sectoral policies and objectives can be realised. For further information visithttp://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/marine-spatial-planning/marine-strategy/towards-marine-spatial-plan-ireland-roadmap

FÉILE NA LAOCH 2018

Féile na Laoch (Festival of Heroes) is very big international, multifaceted Festival of all arts which is organized for over a six-month period every seven years across Ireland and internationally.  It is dedicated to the memory of the Irish composer and creator Seán Ó Riada and is the only official commemoration of this Irish hero.  This period is to help and facilitate all Irish and Gael, at home and abroad, to renew their identity and self-knowledge.  Each and every community is encouraged to organize a Féile na Laoch of their own, for their own people, during this time of self-renewal and affirmation of self and community.  Each community has its own culture. Each is different and recognizes itself in the heroes its people chooses as their exemplars. For the Festival, a community names 100 heroes.  Some will be common to many communities in Ireland, Scotland and abroad and more will by unique to the local itself.  This difference in choice reflects the individuality of communities.  With Féile na Laoch (The Festival of Heroes) we demonstrate what we think is good example, what is good advice to our youth and our people generally.  A Féile na Laoch flag will be presented to any group wishing to participate and it is hoped that as many groups as possible, both at home and abroad, really embrace the very meaning of the festival. For more information, see the attached PDF (click here) and/or email oifig@iontaoibheasfodhla.ie.

DECADE OF CENTENARIES – SUBMISSIONS INVITED

The State's approach to commemorating the significant historical events during the first half of the Decade of Centenaries, culminating in the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, was underpinned by a supportive structure of public consultation and guiding principles set out in the initial Statement of the Expert Advisory Group to the Government on Commemorations.   Between 2018 and 2023, the State will recall significant historical events that took place between 1918 and 1923.  A consultation process is now underway to stimulate a public conversation around how the significant and sensitive historical events that took place during that period and related themes might be appropriately remembered.  The Government will continue to be supported in its approach by the Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations.  The commemorative programme for the second half of the Decade of Centenaries will be inclusive, respectful and authentic, with the objective of promoting a deeper understanding of differing perspectives on this sensitive period in our shared history.  You can click on the link https://www.chg.gov.ie/news-centre/news-centre-consultations/ to view a timeline of significant historical events and themes.

The Second Statement of the Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations has recently been published and it contains guiding principles to support interested parties navigate the turbulent historical period that followed the 1916 Easter Rising until the admission of the Irish Free State into the League of Nations in 1923.  You can view the Second Statement by clicking here:  https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2017/10/2017-04-10-final-second-statement-english-1.pdf . For further information and to make a submission visit https://www.chg.gov.ie/news-centre/news-centre-consultations/.  Submissions will be accepted up to Wednesday 31st January 2018.

NATIONAL INVENTORY OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE – SUBMISSIONS INVITED

The national call for submissions to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage was launched prior to Christmas and has stimulated much interest here in the County of Cork. Once compiled, the list will acknowledge and promote Ireland’s living culture through official State recognition. In tandem with this, it will fulfil Ireland’s obligations under the 2003UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which Ireland signed up to in December 2015 to raise awareness of, and respect for, our unique living culture. Intangible cultural heritage represents living forms of heritage that cannot be touched – unlike, for example, our built heritage. It refers to the practices, representations and expressions that are central to the lives and identities of our communities, groups and individuals.

Applications for Ireland’s National Inventory are being accepted in the following categories:

1.      Oral traditions and expressions, including language

2.      Performing arts

3.      Social practices, rituals and festive events

4.      Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe

5.      Traditional craftsmanship

Individuals or organisations seeking to be considered for inclusion on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage are invited to complete an Expression of Interest form - available by clicking here - and further information can also be obtained be emailing nationalich@chg.gov.ie. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 31 January 2018.

CALLS FOR EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR EUROPEAN YEAR OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

The Heritage Council is seeking heritage initiatives – existing and new – planned for 2018 for European Year of Cultural Heritage. These Types of Activities include: Information, education or awareness-raising campaign; Festivals, including film festivals; Conference, symposium, forum, debate, Study, survey, Training/ workshops; Research activities; Visit, exchange; Digital projects; Cultural event or performance; Media event, launch event and exhibitions and shows.

Activities, events and projects should take place between 7th December 2017 and 31st December 2018 and contribute to achieving one or more of the objectives of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

Events can be officially registered by applying for the the European Year of Cultural Heritage label.  Permission must be granted by the Heritage Council as National Coordinator to use the European Year of Cultural Heritage label/logo. 

Apply here