Press release
Office of Public Works celebrates National Heritage Week 2020
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Published on
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) is proud to celebrate the connections between heritage and education during National Heritage Week 15 - 23 August.
As the summer of indigenous exploration comes to a close, the OPW is encouraging the public to experience the diverse range of heritage properties on their doorstep through this year’s theme 'Heritage and Education: Learning from our Heritage'.
With a host of activities online and a number of events happening at OPW Heritage Sites, National Heritage Week helps us discover what our heritage can teach us about our past and how it can provide fresh ideas for a sustainable future.
Welcoming news of the weeklong programme Mr. Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said:
"This year we’re exploring OPW Heritage Sites through the prism of the school curriculum. I have a keen interest in education and developing our heritage sites as places of learning and fun. The opportunities to do this are limitless and admission charges to certain OPW heritage sites have already been waived as part of the government's Stimulus Plan. OPW staff have created a wonderful schedule of online projects with an abundance of activities for young and old, including storytelling experiences, banquet table laying advice, bread making and foraging. We hope these resources will provide lasting lessons and hours of enjoyment."
Embracing digital solutions, a large portion of these events will be available to enjoy online at www.heritageweek.ie or on OPW and Heritage Ireland social media channels. Online events include an exhibition entitled ‘Six Thousand Years of Learning’; a visual presentation entitled ’A Glimpse into the Past’ hosted by the Swiss Cottage (Tipperary); and a virtual guided tour hosted by Sligo Abbey exploring planting, tending, and using of a medieval herb garden.
Announcing details of the range of programmes running nationwide, as the country celebrates a digitally enhanced National Heritage Week 2020, OPW Chairman, Maurice Buckley noted:
"Despite the challenges we face this year we want to support families and young adults enjoy new experiences and challenges that we hope will have a lasting impact. Contact with materials is essential for child development and this is an opportune time to engage young people in using their hands, to get creative and to enjoy the tactile experience of making something, whether its bread, music, art work or working with stone. Our sites across the country have developed fantastic online resources for all ages and interests to support you in this quest. We hope you will join us as we strive to make this a memorable week, a time when you heard a new story, learnt about a precious artefact, engaged in a new skill or visited one of the wonderful OPW sites around the country for the first time."
The OPW believe that learning is for all ages and offer apprenticeships which enable young people to acquire valuable skills and training to preserve our iconic heritage sites. Some of these apprenticeship programmes include stone cutting, stone masonry and carpentry. The online exhibition ‘Lorg an Síséal – The Mark of the Chisel’ showcasing the OPW’s apprenticeship programme is available on gov.ie/opw, and is an example of the skills and learning projects that can be accessed through OPW digital channels.
Other National Heritage Week events and programmes taking place across OPW Heritage Sites include:
If you’re planning a visit to one of the OPW Heritage sites during National Heritage Week admission charges to certain OPW Heritage sites are being waived as part of the government’s recent July Stimulus Plan in an effort to encourage domestic tourism and support the tourism economy.
A full list of the OPW sites and their charging regime is available at www.heritageireland.ie along with additional information on each site including opening times, booking requirements and contact details. Visitors are encouraged to check with the individual heritage sites for booking details prior to travelling, as COVID-19 restrictions do remain in place at many sites.
ENDS
For further information please contact pressoffice@opw.ie
Photography from the OPW Furniture Division, which has been preserving and passing on core values of traditional conservation and restoration methods will be available from Naoise Culhane Photography naoise@naoiseculhane.com or contact Barry Nangle at 087 147 0617.
The following spokespeople are available to comment on National Heritage Week programming running at their corresponding sites:
National Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days (EHDs), a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission and are the most widely celebrated participatory cultural events shared by the citizens of Europe. The pan-European nature of the events contributes to bringing citizens together and highlighting the European dimension and the value of cultural heritage in the 50 signatory States of the European Cultural Convention. Over 70,000 events are organised every year in order to help raise awareness of Europe's common heritage and the continuous need for its protection, as well as to create shared cultural heritage experiences, promote inclusiveness and foster creativity and the imagination.