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Heritage Week events will showcase Clare’s natural, built and cultural heritage

11 August 2022

Clare County Council is delighted to announce that a wealth of events are taking place in Clare during National Heritage Week 2022, with more than 70 events registered by heritage groups throughout the county to date. Heritage Week takes place from Saturday, 13th August, to Sunday, 21st August, 2022, and has become one of Ireland’s largest cultural events.

The focus of Heritage Week this year is on sustainable heritage and biodiversity and getting as many people out and about to enjoy heritage as possible. Clare County Council is calling on heritage newcomers, enthusiasts and experts alike to tune in to the digital events and attend the many in-person events featured over the nine days of Heritage Week. People are asked to consider how they might encourage and promote sustainability in their own lives during Heritage Week and beyond.

The Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Tony O’Brien, has commended the project organisers “for their interest and creativity, while showcasing a wide range of natural, built and cultural heritage projects – ensuring that Heritage Week remains a wonderful celebration of Clare’s heritage and helping to ensure its preservation and protection into the future”.

Congella McGuire, Clare County Council’s Heritage Officer, said: “I would like to thank all the project organisers for their dedication to Clare’s heritage, and wish them the very best with their events during Heritage Week.”

Wild Child Day on Wednesday, 18th August, encourages kids and families to drop the devices, jump off the couch and get outdoors to explore the heritage in their locality. Áine Ní Fhlatharta of Irish Seed Savers invites you to Wild Child in the Woods to spend some time in the woods and enjoy some Forest School nature activities and connect with Ireland’s amazing woodland ecology (https://www.heritageweek.ie/event-listings/wild-child-in-the-woods). Happy Out Forest School want children to come to Wild Child at John O'Sullivan Park in Ennis for scavenger hunts and bushcraft, including woodland games (https://www.heritageweek.ie/event-listings/family-woodland-fun-in-john-osullivan-park-ennis-co-clare).

Water Heritage Day will take place on Sunday, 21st August, in partnership with the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO). In Clare, our history and heritage have been shaped by the sea and rivers, lakes and wetlands. Water Heritage Day will highlight projects that celebrate water and our connections with it. Among the events planned for Water Heritage Day is a family fun day in the Shannon Town Community Wetlands looking at wetland plants and animals, undertaking a pond-dip to check out what lives in the water, and to partake in outdoor games. Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) has recently purchased Ketts Lough, part of Tullagher Lough and Bog SAC in County Clare for the purpose of protecting and conserving it for future generations. The IPCC will share a short video on 15th August at 10am on IPCC’s YouTube channel and social media, showing this beautiful wetland habitat and the local biodiversity which make it an incredibly important wildlife refuge. While the Clarecastle Heritage Group will launch five films on preserving the fishing heritage and local history of the area.

These are just a flavour of the wide-ranging events taking place across Clare that will allow people to get hands-on with heritage as part of Heritage Week 2022.

To find out more, visit www.heritageweek.ie to see what events are taking place in your locality or across the county, should you be holidaying at home this year. Participants can browse the website and create a bespoke National Heritage Week ‘Events Trail’ to help plan the week according to location, particular heritage interests and preferred event type, such as an outing, walk, social gathering or online event. 

Page last reviewed: 11/08/22

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