Heritagemaps.ie – overseen by Project Manager Pat Reid – is currently working on a range of projects, such as tracking the history of Irish lace and Irish stained glass and how a recent mapping project in Ireland went viral around the world.
Maps provide a multi-dimensional pathway into our past. And The Heritage Council has ambitious plans which will embrace various layers of Irish life. In today’s podcast, Pat explains how a recent mapping project linked up with the Irish Traditional Music Archive. This initiative referenced a particular song to a relevant townland or place name.
He points out that a recent map detailing Sheela na Gigs in Ireland went viral around the world. It received over 40,000 hits daily, bringing Heritagemaps.ie to a worldwide audience. The response highlighted a particular interest the Irish diaspora has on heritage matters.
Currently, 20% of those accessing the site are from outside Ireland.
The site has also been used, in previous years, by those planning a visit to Ireland, thereby making a contribution to the tourism sector.
Tá ról ríthábhachtach ag Oifigigh Oidhreachta na nÚdarás Áitiúil maidir le feasacht ar an oidhreacht a chur chun cinn, polasaí a fhorbairt agus comhairle agus eolas a sholáthar ar shaincheisteanna oidhreachta, áitiúla agus náisiúnta araon.
The prestigious Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI) exists to set the benchmark for achieving ‘excellence’ across the Irish museum sector. Established by The Heritage Council 16 years ago, selection under the programme is seen as a major accolade.
Over the past 16 years, National Heritage Week has been a focal point, bringing together communities and people across the country. It is now one of the most significant dates in Ireland’s cultural calendar.
The Heritage Council established the National Biodiversity Data Centre in 2007. In today’s podcast, we speak to Dr Liam Lysaght, Director of the Data Centre, as he explains why it was established and the strategic importance of its work.
Heritage officers play a key role in promoting awareness, pride and conservation for biodiversity and heritage. Hear all about their work in today's podcast.
Irish towns – steeped in history and with stories going back centuries - are embedded in the Irish folk memory. In order to preserve this vital part of our ancient past, the Irish Walled Towns Network (IWTN) was established by the Heritage Council in 2005. It exists to help these urban centres become better places to live, work and visit.
In today’s podcast we travel to Tralee – and hear how the town has been revitalised by a communal coming together to protect its past.
Every street corner, every meandering alleyway, every old shop façade tells its own story. Our streetscapes are woven into the heart of Irish life – and are a crucial part for our heritage. In today’s podcast, Ian Doyle, Head of Conservation with The Heritage Council, explains the key components of the Historic Towns Initiative, a joint initiative between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Heritage Council.
In this special podcast linked to our national holiday, we speak with Sarah Myers, a Heritage in Schools specialist and tour guide at Kilkenny’s St Canice’s Cathedral.
In the first of two special podcasts linked to our national holiday, Heritage in Schools specialist and storyteller, Seosamh Ó Maolalaí, expands on some of the fascinating folklore surrounding the patron saint of Ireland.
In today’s podcast, we speak with three third-level environmental activists. They played a central role in an ambitious campaign to eliminate the sale and use of single-use plastics on the campus of Trinity College Dublin.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Rural Electrification Scheme, one of the greatest social and economic developments in 20th century Ireland.
On today’s podcast, we mark the 50th anniversary of the introduction of decimalisation in Ireland and chart the long and varied story of money and coinage in Ireland.
Pollination is crucial in maintaining the quality of our food supplies. Caring for pollinators is also of economic importance to our farmers, while protecting environmental health.
In this episode – to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science – we’re speaking with Huge Tinney, whose mother Sheila was the first Irish woman to earn a PhD in mathematical science.