Traditional Building Skills Initiative

October 2019 - ongoing

The continued existence of a built landscape is dependent on there being enough people with traditional building skills to maintain and sensitively modify this finite resource.

Overview

There are an estimated 175,000 buildings still standing in Ireland that were constructed before 1919. For both the State and the communities in which they are located, these buildings are of immense social, environmental and economic value. With proper care and maintenance almost all of this building stock will continue to endure. However, for these buildings to survive they need the skills that went into making them to remain living traditions. The role of the Traditional Building Skills Initiative is to:

1. improve both the quality and quantity of training in traditional building skills.

2. promote traditional building skills as a career.

3. improve awareness and appreciation of traditional building skills among the public.

Training event listing

One of objectives of the Traditional Building Skills Initiative is to promote high quality training on various aspects of traditional building skills that are taking place across Ireland. Towards those ends, we welcome news of high-quality courses that are being run by the private sector, professional bodies, community organisations and charities.

Eligible courses of high education quality will be promoted by the Heritage Council on www.heritagecouncil.ie and our social media channels.

Eligible course types include workshops, conferences, field trips, lectures and seminars covering the following traditional building skills: roofing, thatch, masonry and lime mortar, dry stone walling, joinery and ironwork. Other course topics concerning traditional buildings are also eligible. These include: building maintenance, planning a works project, modifying traditional buildings or sites for climate change, modifying to enhance access and addressing fire safety. The primary focus of any course must be educational. Courses must be focused on traditional buildings.

To be listed, please download and fill in the application form. Completed forms are to be sent via email to cmurray@heritagecouncil.ie

The Heritage Council reserves the right to refuse applications.

Any application must be sent in at least three weeks before the start of the event.

For further inquiries please contact cmurray@heritagecouncil.ie