Heritage Week

Heritage Week

Heritage Week is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council, in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and is part of European Heritage Days, which is celebrated in 40 countries across Europe. 

National Heritage Week 2022: Sustainability: Preserving our past for our future

National Heritage Week 2022

National Heritage Week Logos

National Heritage Week 2022 will take place from Saturday, 13th August to Sunday, 21st August 2022.

Last year, in response to public health guidelines relating to COVID-19, National Heritage Week continued with a hybrid model, inviting heritage enthusiasts to create both digital projects and organise small in-person events. Project organisers met this challenge with great innovation and creativity, producing over 1000 heritage projects — ensuring that National Heritage Week remained a vibrant celebration of Ireland’s heritage. You can search the full collection of the outstanding 2021 projects here.

This year, the Heritage Council is delighted to welcome the full return of in-person events, as well as continuing to showcase digital heritage projects, which proved so popular over the last two years.

National Heritage Week 2022 is all about engaging with heritage to create a more resilient world, enhancing sustainability and biodiversity.

National Heritage Week projects can involve creating something new, such as developing research about a particular place in your locality, organising a new community event or developing an oral history collection. Projects can also involve revisiting or building on a heritage project that you have already worked on, such as showcasing research you have carried out on a monument, waterway or traditional skill, and finding new ways to grow awareness of it.

Event descriptions and completed digital projects can be uploaded via the Organisers’ Portal soon; keep an eye out for more information. The last day to submit a project to the National Heritage Week website will be Tuesday, 23rd August. For those creating in-person events, the deadline to submit your event description for an opportunity to be promoted in local media is Wednesday, 6th July, though events may be submitted after this date.

Sustainable heritage
National Heritage Week 2022 invites organisers to consider how we can conserve our rich built, cultural and natural heritage and how that can contribute to developing a more sustainable future. How can we connect with the skills and traditions of the past and pass them to the next generation? Can you research a particular part of Irish history to shed light on Irish society today? Is there a craft that has been passed down in your family or community that you can promote, such as thatching, tin-smithing, native plant foraging or traditional dancing? Preserving both tangible and intangible heritage plays an important part in keeping our culture alive and vibrant.

Biodiversity
In a world in which climate change is becoming more and more apparent, National Heritage Week 2022 invites organisers to encourage greater appreciation of the natural world, to look at the variety of plant and animal life in their locality, and conserve native species and natural landscapes. Can you get involved in the protection of indigenous plants and animals in your locality? Do you or does someone you know engage with sustainable farming practices? Can you contribute to urban greening or gardening? Increasing awareness about our local environment and taking actions to protect biodiversity are key to preserving our natural heritage.

Themed days
National Heritage Week will also see the continued celebration of themed heritage days, when project organisers can develop specific themed activities.

On Wild Child Day, The Heritage Council encourages kids and families to make the most of the outdoors to explore the heritage in their locality and beyond. This year’s Wild Child Day will take place on Saturday, 20th August.

Water Heritage Day will take place on Sunday, 21st August as a collaboration between The Heritage Council and the Local Authority Waters Programme. As an island nation, our history and heritage have been shaped by the sea and the great Irish rivers, lakes and wetlands. Water Heritage Day will highlight projects that celebrate water and our connections with it.

National Heritage Week 2022: Sustainability: Preserving our past for our future

Organise an Event/Project

National Heritage Week 2022 is celebrating the return of in-person events and digital projects.

This year, with the long-awaited return of in-person events, together with the huge interest in digital heritage projects, the Heritage Council will invite individuals, communities and organisations to develop Heritage Week in-person events and / or digital projects.

The theme for National Heritage Week 2022 is sustainable heritage and organisers are asked to consider the following when planning their activities:

  • Sustainability: An invitation to organisers to consider how we can conserve our rich built, cultural and natural heritage and how that can contribute to developing a more sustainable future. How can we connect with the skills and traditions of the past and pass them to the next generation?
  • Biodiversity: An invitation to organisers to encourage greater appreciation of the natural world, to look at the variety of plant and animal life in their locality, and conserve native species and natural landscapes.

Have a look at Heritage Council's News section for some event and project ideas under each of these headings.

If you are organising an in-person event, consider the following questions: What is the goal of the event, i.e. what would you like your audience to learn or experience? What size audience will ensure the best experience for attendees? Is your event sustainable – are the materials you use environmentally friendly, are you sourcing as much as possible from your locality, how do people get there? Is your event welcoming to diverse audiences, including those new to heritage or new to your community? For more information on organising successful events, please visit our News section.

If you are creating a digital project, the results of your project should be presented in a format that can be shared widely, for example an online talk or exhibition; a video; podcast or oral history recording; a PowerPoint presentation or blog; through your community’s or organisation’s newsletter; via an interview with a local radio station or newspaper; or through a dedicated website or social media account. Visit our Resources pages for tips and tricks for digital projects.

Events and projects can involve developing something new, or revisiting a heritage project or research into an aspect of our heritage that you have already worked on.

If you would like to get involved as a project organiser, here’s how!

1. Register as an organiser

Click here to create an organiser account and log in to the Organisers' Portal. Once you’re logged in, tell us about your event or project.

2. Submit your event or project

Once you have registered as an organiser you will be able to submit your event or completed project through the submission form in the Organisers’ Portal. Projects and events should be submitted to the National Heritage Week website before National Heritage Week begins. Events and projects completed during National Heritage Week have until Tuesday, 23rd August to submit their outputs. If you would like your in-person event to be considered for promotion locally by your Local Authority Heritage Officer, the deadline to submit your information is Wednesday, 6th July.

3. Enjoy National Heritage Week!

National Heritage Week will take place from Saturday, 13th August – Sunday, 21st August. Have fun exploring Ireland’s heritage and be sure to share what you learn with others!
 

Organiser Registration

If you are planning an event or project for National Heritage Week 2022, please register below as an organiser and then log in to submit your event or project in the Organisers' Portal.

If you organised a National Heritage Week project for 2021, your sign-in details from last year will still be valid.

GET STARTED

 

National Heritage Week 2022: Open the door to heritage will take place from Saturday, 13th August to Sunday, 21st August 2022.