Here are 12 great experiences from around the country to get you started on your National Heritage Week adventure:
1 – Discover your ancestors in Donegal
Where: Killygordon, Co Donegal
When: Thursday, 20 August, 1pm-6pm
Cost: Free
Original parish records offer a fascinating window into the families who built a community. At St Ann’s Church, visitors can explore local family history before hearing about two landmark churches and the sporting heritage of Setanta Hurling Club.
Parking is available, and the event is fully wheelchair accessible and suitable for people with visual impairments.
Discover Your Ancestors and Celebrate Local Traditions »
2 – Explore North Sligo’s forgotten mining history
Where: Cliffoney Hall, Co Sligo
When: Sunday, 23 August, 3pm-5pm
Cost: Free
Mining may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we picture Sligo, but the landscape around Glencarbury was once home to an important barytes-mining industry. This event explores the people, places and working lives behind that lesser-known chapter of North Sligo’s industrial heritage. Taking place indoors at Cliffoney Hall, it offers an interesting opportunity to discover how the area’s natural resources shaped local employment and community life.
Barytes Mining – North Sligo’s Industrial heritage »
3 – Hear the story of the Irish harp in Galway
Where: Ballinasloe Library, Co Galway
When: Saturday, 15 August, 2.30pm-4pm
Cost: Free
Harpist Úna Ní Fhlannagáin will combine music, history and conversation in an exploration of Ireland’s harp heritage. Her wire-strung instrument draws on both modern and early Gaelic harps, creating a distinctive sound that connects old traditions with new music. Visitors can ask questions, and musicians are welcome to bring an instrument for a short session at the end.
The venue is fully wheelchair accessible and has parking.
A History of the Irish Harp »
4 – Follow in the footsteps of Limerick’s lace makers
Where: Limerick Museum, Henry Street, Limerick
When: Sunday, 16 August, 10.30am-11.45am
Cost: Free
Limerick lace has almost 200 years of history, but many people walk past the places connected with it without knowing their stories. This guided city walk visits former lace schools, factories and other important locations. Along the way, it will recall the skill and working lives of the women who helped make Limerick lace famous.
Visitors with mobility concerns should contact the organiser about the route, pace and availability of seating.
In the Footsteps of Limerick Lace Makers »
5 – Discover 4,000-year-old secrets in Waterford
Where: Town Hall Theatre, St Augustine Street, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
When: Wednesday, 19 August, 7pm-8pm
Cost: Free
Recent archaeological work at Cappagh in Co Waterford has uncovered two Neolithic houses and a Bronze Age flat cemetery dating back as much as 4,000 years.
At this free evening talk, site director Gillian McCarthy of Rubicon Archaeology will reveal what was discovered and explain what the remains can tell us about the people who lived in the area thousands of years ago. It is a rare chance to hear about significant archaeological finds while the excitement of their discovery is still fresh. No dusty history lesson here – these are new clues to some of Waterford’s earliest residents.
Exciting Archaeological Discoveries in Cappagh »
6 – Discover Ireland’s great Gospel books in Clare
Where: Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee, Co Clare
When: Wednesday, 19 August, 8pm-9.15pm
Cost: Free
The Book of Kells may be the best known, but Ireland produced several magnificent illuminated Gospel books during the early Middle Ages. Writer and academic Dr Rosemary Power will explore their colours, decoration and symbolism, as well as the European influences that shaped them. There will be time for questions afterwards.
The venue is fully wheelchair accessible, served by public transport and has parking available.
Ireland’s Great Gospel Books »
7 – Learn traditional woodworking in Wexford
Where: Bevel Woodworking School, Poulfur, Co Wexford
When: Tuesday, 18 August, 10am-12.30pm
Cost: Free; advance booking required
There is something very satisfying about working with a well-made hand tool.
This beginner-friendly workshop explains how to care for and sharpen a traditional hand plane before giving participants practical experience with other classic woodworking tools. The morning concludes with a visit to the nearby Helen Blake Replica Project, where a traditional wooden lifeboat is being constructed.
Parking is available, but places are limited.
Traditional Woodworking Tools Workshop »
8 – Enjoy Cork’s ‘Big Bang of Storytelling’
Where: Civic Trust House, Pope’s Quay, Cork
When: Saturday, 15 August, noon-1pm
Cost: Free; advance booking required
Ireland has never been short of a good storyteller, and Cork writer Cónal Creedon is among the most engaging. He will take his audience on an entertaining journey through the beginnings of storytelling, interwoven with Cork’s distinctive history and sense of place. Expect insight, humour and perhaps a good yarn or two.
Civic Trust House is fully wheelchair accessible.
Heritage and the Big Bang of Storytelling »
9 – Experience Traveller living heritage in Meath
Where: Meath Travellers Workshop, Fair Green, Navan, Co Meath
When: Friday, 21 August, 11am-3pm
Cost: Free
This welcoming event celebrates Irish Traveller culture through storytelling, living history and practical activities. Visitors can see a restored barrel-top wagon, a traditional roadside camp and historical artefacts. Workshops will explore beady pockets, traditional Traveller bread and paper flowers – skills passed down through generations of Traveller women.
Parking and public transport access are available, and the event will include Irish Sign Language interpretation.
Traveller Living Heritage »
10 – Share Athlone’s stories and memories
Where: Various venues in Athlone, Co Westmeath
When: Various times, 15-23 August
Cost: Free
Athlone’s west side is hosting a week of talks, exhibitions, performances and community activities under the title Heritage at Risk: Protecting What Matters. Visitors will be invited to share memories of Connaught Street’s shops, trades, music, families and everyday life. These recollections will become part of a community oral archive, preserving voices that might otherwise be lost.
Public transport, parking and wheelchair-accessible activities are available.
Heritage at Risk: Protecting What Matters »
11 – Tour Airfield’s farm and gardens
Where: Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin 14
When: Tuesday, 18 August, and Thursday, 20 August, 6pm-7.30pm
Cost: Free: advance booking required
This guided tour begins with the story of Letitia and Naomi Overend, the remarkable sisters whose vision and generosity shaped Airfield Estate. Visitors will then explore the working farm and organic gardens, discovering traditional farming and growing methods and their relevance to sustainable food production today.
Airfield is fully wheelchair accessible, served by public transport and has parking.
Airfield Estate Living Legacy Tour »
12 – Discover how Dublin grew from a medieval city
Where: Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2
When: Wednesday, 19 August, 6pm-7.30pm
Cost: Free
The shape of Dublin has changed enormously over the centuries – not least because parts of the city now stand on land reclaimed from the original bay. In this illustrated talk, presenter Mark Crowther will trace Dublin’s growth from its medieval centre towards Fairview and Marino. He will explore the construction of the city quays, the changing shoreline, the development of transport links and the creation of Marino’s garden suburb. It is an intriguing opportunity to see familiar parts of Dublin with fresh eyes and to understand how water, agriculture, housing and transport helped create the city we know today.
The venue is fully wheelchair accessible, autism friendly and well served by public transport.
From Medieval Dublin to Marino »
Before you go…
Although every event listed here is free, several require advance booking. Contact the organiser if seating, parking, toilets or step-free access are important to you.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself. National Heritage Week isn’t a history exam – it’s an invitation to listen, explore, learn a new skill, and perhaps pass a favourite story on to someone younger.
You can find many more ideas on the National Heritage Week website »
