Offaly heritage groups win top awards at National Heritage Week ceremony

THE Heritage Council has announced the national winners and runners-ups for national awards at the annual National Heritage Week awards ceremony which took place on Friday November 15^th at Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Three Offaly based events were among those that featured in the ceremony.

Ballycumber Tidy Towns won the Water Heritage Award for their event “Folly Tales and Treasure Trails”. Ballycumber Tidy Towns hosted “Folly Tales and Treasure Trails” on August 25th along the River Brosna, celebrating community connections across Offaly. The event day featured foraging with Siobhan Lavell, biodiversity education, and river sampling with Ruth McKeever from LAWPRO, where children learned about water quality and river ecosystems. Kids also enjoyed a riverbank treasure hunt, followed by refreshments. The event included art workshops for children and young adults, including those with special needs, to create a flag symbolising unity across Clara, Ballycumber, Pollagh, and Ferbane, where the Brosna flows through each community. The evening “Folly Tales” closed the event with music, storytelling, and poetry. Outcomes included increased awareness of the River Brosna’s natural and cultural heritage, connections across communities, and inspiration for future heritage events.

Waterways Ireland, the Heritage Boat Association (HBA) & Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) were runners-up in the same category for their event “A Boatman’s Journey: Navigating the heritage of the Grand Canal through the eyes of a boatman”. The Heritage Week event, hosted by Waterways Ireland in collaboration with the HBA and IWAI, celebrated Ireland's waterways heritage with a presentation on the Grand Canal’s history, a display of heritage boats, and live demonstrations of historic Bolinder engines. Central to the event was the launch of the innovative StoryMap, "A Boatman’s Journey," which used maps, photos, and oral histories to immerse attendees in the life of a canal boatman. Participants had the chance to explore heritage barges and engage with both digital storytelling and live demonstrations, deepening their appreciation of the canal’s role in trade, community connections, and regional culture.

Meanwhile, Lemanaghan Bog Heritage & Conservation Group were runners-ups in the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Award for their event “Lemanaghan Stories: Tales of Tradition, Routes and Connections”. This award recognises an event that showcased an element of our intangible cultural heritage, whether through crafts, skills, customs, or other traditional practices. The "Lemanaghan Stories: Tales of Tradition, Routes and Connections" event was organised to celebrate and preserve the unique cultural heritage of Lemanaghan. The event was inspired by the area's rich history, particularly its folklore, religious significance, and ongoing conservation efforts. Held at the historic Old School House, it featured video screenings of local interviews produced by Crannog Media, along with discussions with experts and live performances of poetry and song, stories and traditions were recorded and shared, ensuring they are preserved for future generations.

The National Heritage Awards recognises the enormous contribution of individuals and community groups across Ireland in ensuring the preservation, protection, and promotion of Ireland’s built, natural and cultural heritage.

The awards honour those organisers who created the most engaging and inspiring events and projects for National Heritage Week 2024 as well as Ireland’s Heritage Hero. Over 2,300 events and projects took place around the country in August during National Heritage Week, as communities and individuals answered the Heritage Council’s invitation to explore this year’s theme of living heritage.