Local Authority Heritage Officers play a key role in promoting heritage awareness, developing policy and providing advice and information on local as well as national heritage issues.
County Heritage Officers are employed by Local Authorities in partnership with the Heritage Council under the auspices of the Heritage Officer Programme, which was initiated in 1999. The programme celebrated 20 years in 2019. As of 1st September 2021, there is now a Heritage Officer employed in each Local Authority.
Heritage Officers manage the heritage function within a county in a strategic and co-ordinated manner. They adopted an integrated approach to heritage which envelopes all aspects of heritage within the overall heritage service. They aim to promote enhanced levels of understanding, conservation and preservation by improving the status and perception of heritage in their local area. Heritage objectives are identified and priorities in Local Heritage Plans that are formally adopted by Local Authorities.
The Heritage Officer function is extremely broad and carried out in the context of individual local authority preferences. Some of the principal areas addressed by Heritage Officers include
- Local Heritage Plans
- Advice and Information for Local Authority Staff
- Heritage Appraisal
- Data Collection
- Liaison
- Public Relations
- Public Consultation
- Strategies, Policies and Projects
Benefits of having a Heritage Officer
- County Heritage Officers play a key role in promoting awareness, knowledge and pride in local heritage.
- They provide advice, guidance and information on various aspects of Irish heritage and heritage best practice.
- As part of their work, officers collect data and undertake research on various aspects of the local heritage.
- They play a key role in developing policies and priorities for the identification, protection, conservation and enhancement of Ireland’s heritage.
- They support the integration and inclusion of heritage policy across all sectors, officers also prepare and implement actions of their county’s Heritage and Biodiversity Plans.
2021 County Heritage Plan Projects
Each year The Heritage Council provides grant assistance to Local Authorities for projects which support the implementation of their County Heritage Plans. Here is the list of projects being undertaken this year. Previous years can be found here
Training and Development
The Heritage Council provides technical, developmental, professional and training support, in addition to financial subsidisation, in respect of all Heritage Officers appointed to Local Authorities. (Year One: 75% / Year Two: 50% /Year Three+: 25%.) The non-financial support is primarily delivered through the Heritage Officer Training and Development Programme. The Heritage Council endeavors to maintain the standard and quality of the Heritage Training and Development Programme at all times. Direct training has been provided in relation to County Heritage Plans, Heritage Appraisal, Conservation Plans, Facilitation and Planning Legislation.
Local Authority Heritage Officer Contact Details
| Local Authority | Heritage Officer | Telephone | |
| Carlow County Council | Dr Eoin Sullivan | 059 9129705 | esullivan@carlowcoco.ie. |
| Cavan County Council | Anne Marie Ward | 049 437 8614 | amcurley@cavancoco.ie |
| Cork City Council | Niamh Twomey | 021 492 4018 | niamh_twomey@corkcity.ie |
| Cork County Council | Conor Nelligan | 021 428 5905 | conor.nelligan@corkcoco.ie |
| Clare County Council | Congella McGuire | 065 684 6408 / 682 1616 | cmcguire@clarecoco.ie |
| Dublin City Council | Charles Duggan | 01 222 2856 / 222 3090 | charles.duggan@dublincity.ie |
| Donegal County Council | Dr. Joe Gallagher | 074 917 2576 | j.gallagher@donegalcoco.ie |
| Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council | Deirdre Black | 01 2054700 | dblack@dlrcoco.ie |
| Fingal County Council | Christine Baker | 01-890 5691 | christine.baker@fingal.ie |
| Galway City Council | Dr. Jim Higgins | 091 526 574 | jim.higgins@galwaycity.ie |
| Galway County Council | Marie Mannion | 091 509 000 Ext. 198 / 509 198 | mmannion@galwaycoco.ie |
| Kerry County Council | Victoria McCarthy | VMcCarthy@kerrycoco.ie | |
| Kildare County Council | Bridget Loughlin | 045 980 791 / 980 200 | bloughlin@kildarecoco.ie |
| Kilkenny County Council | Regina Fitzpatrick | 056 779 4925 | regina.fitzpatrick@kilkennycoco.ie / https://www.facebook.com/kilkenny.heritage/ |
| Laois County Council | Currently recruiting | 057 866 4129 | |
| Leitrim County Council | Sarah Malone | 071 9620005 | smalone@leitrimcoco.ie |
| Limerick County Council | Tom O'Neill | 061 557229 | heritage@limerick.ie |
| Longford County Council | Mairead Ní Chonghaile | 043 334 0731 / 334 1124 | mnichonghaile@longfordcoco.ie |
| Louth County Council | Brendan McSherry | 042 9392969 | brendan.mcsherry@louthcoco.ie |
| Mayo County Council | Dr Deirdre Cunningham | 094 906 4092 | dcunningham@mayococo.ie |
| Meath County Council | Dr. Loreto Guinan | 046 909 7507 / 909 7000 | lguinan@meathcoco.ie |
| Monaghan County Council | Shirley Clerkin | 047 73722 | heritage@monaghancoco.ie shclerkin@monaghancoco.ie |
| Offaly County Council | Amanda Pedlow | 057 934 6839 / 934 6800/ Remote working 086 8530350 | heritage@offalycoco.ie |
| Roscommon County Council | Nollaig Feeney | 090 663 7100 / 663 7135 | nfeeney@roscommoncoco.ie |
| Sligo County Council | Siobhán Ryan | 071 911 4482 / 9111 111 | sryan@sligococo.ie |
| South Dublin County Council | Dr. Rosaleen Dwyer | 01 414 9222 / 414 9000 | rdwyer@sdublincoco.ie |
| Tipperary County Council | Roisin O'Grady | 0761 06 6213 | roisin.ogrady@tipperarycoco.ie |
| Waterford County Council | Bernadette Guest | 051 849 668 | bguest@waterfordcouncil.ie |
| Westmeath County Council | Melanie McQuade | 044 9332098/087 6074496 | Melanie.mcquade@westmeathcoco.ie |
| Wexford County Council | Catherine McLoughlin | 053 9196453 | catherine.mcloughlin@wexfordcoco.ie |
| Wicklow County Council | Deirdre Burns | 0404 20100 / 20191 | dburns@wicklowcoco.ie |
