2015 – ar aghaidh
A scheme to help communities become actively involved in the conservation and interpretation of their local archaeological and cultural heritage sites.
A scheme to help communities become actively involved in the conservation and interpretation of their local archaeological and cultural heritage sites.
Our ancient history has bestowed on us a wealth of monuments that need care and attention to ensure that they survive for future generations to enjoy.
Through the Adopt a Monument Programme we provide expertise, mentoring and support to encourage communities to ‘adopt’ a monument in their area in order to ensure ongoing maintenance and greater protection through increased civic value.
In the video below we hear from the Society for Old Lucan who adopted St Finian's Church & Graveyard in Lucan, Co Dublin.
We want to help community groups embrace their heritage site, be it a prehistoric tomb, stone circle, medieval town wall, castle, church, bridge, graveyard, landed estate, mine, kiln, mill, traditional house or battlefield. Our vision is that the chosen monument will serve as a focal point for heritage-related, educational and recreational activities and will encourage greater interpretation and understanding.
The Scheme offers opportunities to:
This booklet is a guide to the Adopt a Monument Scheme and is aimed at communities, groups and individuals interested in managing, protecting and promoting their local heritage. It explains what Adopt a Monument is, how to apply, and it also features testimonials from community groups involved with the scheme. View/Download A Guide to the Adopt A Monument Scheme
The Adopt a Monument Manual has been designed as a guidance document for participants in the Heritage Council’s Adopt a Monument Scheme, but we hope it is also useful for any communities who are interested in carrying out community heritage projects.
The manual covers a broad range of themes including:
The Adopt a Monument Research Toolkit is a great resource for anyone interested in studying their local heritage. This toolkit gives detailed guidance about a range of online sources that you can consult to learn more about sites and monuments. It also provides advice on how to develop your research questions and how to evaluate and record sources.
There are profiles of some of the key sources, such as the National Monuments Service, the Ordnance Survey of Ireland and the Schools Folklore Collection. You may be surprised by how much you can discover about your chosen site by consulting these and the many other sources outlined in the toolkit.
Download the image above as a pdf with clickable links below
For more detailed information on what kind of work should and should not be done when maintaining a historic graveyard, view/download our publication "Guidance for the Care, Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards below.
You can follow the Adopt a Monument project on Twitter at or find us on Facebook
If you have any questions about the scheme please contact us at: adoptamonument@heritagecouncil.ie
‘KnowYour5k ’ is a new initiative from the Heritage Council (as part of the Adopt a Monument scheme) and National Museum of Ireland which provides an opportunity to share discoveries about our hidden heritage. The project helps the public to use a wealth of online resources to find out more about the story of their locality.
It is all about sharing the story of your local place. If you have a poem, story, picture or drawing about a particular heritage site in your locality, why not share it with us at: https://www.ouririshheritage.org/content/category/archive/place/knowyour5k
The upload process is straightforward and there are guides about online tools to help with researching the story of your place. You can contribute your own stories or discover the hidden heritage that surrounds us all by browsing through other contributions. We hope the KnowYour5k project helps you to discover the stories that surrounds us all!
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7 new sites selected for the Heritage Council's Adopt A Monument Programme 2019
Adopt a Monument Manual wins Mary Mulvihill Media Award
The Mayglass Farmstead is an exemplar and rare survivor of a type of two-storied thatched rural dwelling of the Irish vernacular tradition and one of the most significant conservation projects ever carried out by The Heritage Council.
The Heritage Council is committed to addressing climate change by supporting Ireland’s national climate goals and integrating climate action into the conservation of the country’s natural, built, and cultural heritage.
A collaborative approach to village planning and design that gives local communities a real voice in deciding how their villages are planned and shaped for the future.