- This event has passed.
National Heritage Week 2014
August 23, 2014 - August 31, 2014
National Heritage Week August 23rd to 31st
National Heritage Week is coordinated by The Heritage Council and its aim is to build awareness and education about our heritage thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation.
Each year, during the last week of August, many national and hundreds of local community organisations participate by organising events throughout the country. Many of the events that take place during the week are free and the programme highlights the abundance of great work that is carried out in all communities in Ireland to preserve and promote our natural, built and cultural heritage.
The Heritage Council assumed the role of coordinator of National Heritage Week from the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government in 2005. Since then the week has grown into a highly successful programme of over 1700 events which take place during the last week of August each year.
Check out events taking place in Mayo this year
Westport Civic Trust walks for National Heritage Week
Westport is a beautiful town, but have you ever looked closely at your surroundings as you walk through it? As part of National Heritage Week, which runs from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st August, the Westport Civic Trust is holding four walks around the town to show the hidden treasures that can be found if one looks hard enough.
‘Hidden flora and fauna in Westport’s urban environment’ will be led by Rob Kennan, and will meet at 2.30pm on Sunday 24th August and at 10.30am on Wednesday 27th August. Come and discover the plants and animals you never thought to find in the town.
‘Architectural styles of the planned town of Westport’ will be led by Shirley Piggins, and will meet at 2.30pm on Tuesday 26th August and at 10.30am on Friday 29th August. This walk will take in buildings of particular and vernacular interest, and hidden, often overlooked, features.
The meeting place for all four walks is the Clock Tower at the top of Bridge Street, and each walk will take about 1½ hours; there is no charge; no need to book; come in appropriate clothing – this is the West of Ireland!
There will also be an exhibition in The Library from 19th August until 31st August, showing photographs of the Heritage Bank of Ireland Garden, and photographs from the Lawrence collection, picturing Westport as it was in the late 19th and early 20th century. Much has changed in Westport, but much is surprisingly the same: these photographs are an intriguing window into the past.
