Over 120 events are taking place for National Heritage Week in County Donegal from Saturday, August 18 to Sunday, August 26, 2018 and most of them are free.

“The theme of this year’s Heritage Week is ‘Share a Story’ and County Donegal has lots of stories to tell about its heritage, landscape, environment, history, folklore, traditional skills and the lives of its inhabitants” said Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer.

Some of the Heritage Week event organisers and the National Parks & Wildlife Service staff and guests pictured at Glenveagh Castle with Cllr. Seamus Ó Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council at the launch of the County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide on Tuesday, August 7.

“The aims of Heritage Week are to raise awareness of our heritage and to encourage its preservation, conservation and promotion. County Donegal is the county with the most events taking place per head of population and the Culture Division, Donegal County Council has organised, or is hosting over 20 of the 116 ‘Heritage Week’ events already planned in County Donegal.”

Events include built heritage open days, guided walks, heritage site visits, fieldtrips, exhibitions, illustrated presentations, workshops, storytelling, historical re-enactments, children’s activities, launch events and traditional skills demonstrations.

 

The pocket-size County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide outlining the programme is available free-of-charge from tourist offices, libraries, public service centres, museums and heritage centres and online at www.heritageweek.ie or www.donegalcoco.ie/heritage.

“Those who work in heritage organisations, museums and heritage centres and live in historic houses play their part by making the heritage that they care for more accessible through the Heritage Week programme of events” said Cllr. Seamus Ó Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council speaking at the launch of the County Donegal Heritage Week Event Guide at Glenveagh Castle on Tuesday, August 7.

“As 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, this year’s Heritage Week events encourage people to ‘make a connection’ and engage with heritage at the local, national and European levels. The people who organise these events are enthusiastic, committed and often volunteer their time in order to make National Heritage Week the great success it is in County Donegal.