Longford people urged to 'explore and celebrate' local heritage during Heritage Week

People in county Longford and across Ireland are being encouraged to get involved in the many events taking place across the county and country from today (Saturday) August 15 and Sunday, August 23.

Junior Heritage Minister Christopher O’Sullivan has said there is a 'fantastic selection of events' taking place as he urged people to make the most of the opportunity.

More than 2,500 events will celebrate every aspect of Ireland’s rich heritage and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is proud to showcase of our natural, built and cultural heritage at events all around the country.

There will also be a special tribute to Turlough O'Carolan on Thursday, August 20 at the Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre.

There will be a 'Corlea Trackway Explorations' event with guided presentations and an Irish Sign Language (ISL) tour on August 23 at the Corlea Iron Age Trackway Visitor Centre.

There will also be an Ardagh Village Walking Tour that is being organised by the County Longford Historical Society on August 27.

An event named 'Ongoing Local Experiences' will feature interactive storytelling and re-enactments at Knights and Conquests in Granard, literary events along the Edgeworthstown Literary Trail, and guided ecological walks near Lanesboro.

Now in its 26th year, National Heritage Week, an initiative of the Heritage Council, is expected to attract more than half a million participants.

It encourages communities to engage with their past and reminds them of the importance of protecting our shared heritage.

This year’s theme, Heritage at Risk, invites people to consider elements of heritage that are vulnerable or under threat, from historic buildings and archaeological sites to natural habitats, rare species, traditional skills, folklore, language and ways of life.

Speaking about Heritage Week, the Minister O'Sullivan urged people to visit one of the national parks, such as Glenveagh in Donegal where 'you can enjoy music and traditional crafts as well as learning about biodiversity and taking part in guided walks'.

"You can learn real practical traditional building skills at workshops around the country.

"Communities will celebrate their local waterways around at events such as ‘The River Remembers: Stories of Salmon and Stewardship on the Coomhola River’, in Cork.