Tánaiste launches new Cultural Heritage Award in honour of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh

A new Heritage Council award in honour of the legendary GAA commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh was launched today by Tánaiste Micheál Martin at a special event at the Cork Camogie Grounds in Cork city. The ‘Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh – Gradam Dúchais’, or Intangible Cultural Heritage Award, is being given to a group whose 2024 National Heritage Week event encouraged a greater appreciation of our traditions, crafts, skills, customs and practices.

The Maharees Conservation Association from Co. Kerry were also announced as inaugural winners today for their Currach Making demonstration during National Heritage Week with the O’Leary family, who have been making currachs in Maharees for five generations. Those who attended their event learned how the currachs have connected and sustained the communities living in Maharees and around the Tralee Bay area.

Recent Heritage Council research into attitudes towards heritage revealed that people value our cultural heritage more than any other type of heritage. This includes things like storytelling, having a personal connection to a particular area, the passing on of generational traditions, spending time with older people to learn about their life, GAA and language.

Throughout his life and career, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh embodied these cultural touchstones. Every year, groups and individuals across the country demonstrate their own commitment to these values through the events they organise during National Heritage Week – and to have his name associated with the award is timely and appropriate.

The Tánaiste and the Heritage Council were joined today by the award winners, members of Micheál Ó Muirecheartaigh’s family, several players from Cork’s 2024 All-Ireland winning Cork camogie team and UCD history professor Paul Rouse.

Launching the award today, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said:

“There is scarcely an individual in the country who could represent the richness of our cultural heritage more than the great Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh. The sound of his voice provides, for many, the backdrop for times now past, and offers a window to so much that is positive about our culture – our language, our national games, storytelling and a sense of where we come from. The launch of the award also comes at a time when the current government has invested heavily in heritage - annual exchequer funding for the sector has increased from €170.2m to €267.8m since 2020, with the sector underlining its significance by contributing €4.6bn annually to the Irish economy.”

Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, added:

“Our national games are, of course, a fundamental part of our cultural heritage and it is an honour to be joined today by members of Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh’s family, as well as members of Cork’s triumphant camogie team, to celebrate this new award acknowledging this inherent connection. Although he lived most of his life in Dublin, Micheál is unmistakably associated with the community of West Kerry. So much of our work involves encouraging and supporting communities to take pride and ownership in their own place – our efforts have culminated in a 249% increase in community grant project funding since 2020, and a 25% increase in National Heritage Week events registered this year.”

The Maharees Conservation Association will be formally celebrated along with all the other 2024 award winners at the National Heritage Week awards ceremony at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin on November 15^th.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

This year’s National Heritage Week Awards will comprise a number of special categories, namely:

Connections, Routes and Networks Award

The Connections, Routes and Networks Award is awarded to an event that made a special effort to incorporate the 2024 theme of National Heritage Week - Connections, Routes and Networks.

Wild Child Event Award

The Wild Child Event Award Is awarded to an event that happened on Wild Child Day, 24th August 2024, that successfully encouraged children and families to get outdoors and explore the natural heritage and biodiversity in their locality.

Water Heritage Day Award (In conjunction with the Local Authority Waters Programme)

The Water Heritage Award is awarded to a Water Heritage Day event, held on 25th August 2024. Events considered include those that explored how a canal, river, lake or sea shaped the heritage of a locality or celebrated water as an integral part of our natural heritage.

Inclusive Heritage Award

The Inclusive Heritage Award is awarded to an event or project that made a special effort to share heritage with everyone in the community, including those who are:

• new to heritage
• those who do not have local roots
• those who have additional accessibility needs
• those of varying age categories

Irish Language Award

The Irish Language Award is awarded to an event that took place through the Irish Language and/or encouraged participation or activity in the Irish language.

Sustainability and Climate Award

The Sustainability and Climate Heritage Award is awarded to an event or project that made efforts to incorporate environmentally friendly practices to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the natural world, or an event that provided education on the impact of climate change and good sustainability practices.

Intangible Cultural Heritage Award – The Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Award

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Award is awarded to an event or project that encouraged a greater appreciation of an element of our intangible cultural heritage - crafts, skills, customs and practices.

Heritage Hero Award

Every year the Heritage Council awards the Heritage Hero Award to an individual or organisation that has demonstrated – over a substantial period of time – an outstanding contribution to the protection and promotion of heritage. This award is based on nominations from the public.

County Award

In addition to the National Awards (above), the Heritage Council also gives a "County Award" to the best event or project in each local authority area as nominated. This award is based on how well the event or project raised awareness about an element of heritage and how they promoted the event and involved the community.