National Heritage Week Training & Networking events
National Heritage Week 2024 will take place from 17th-25th August 2024. This year celebrates the theme of “Connections, Routes & Networks”. Training & Networking events are happening at Dublin, Sligo and Limerick. These events are designed to provide valuable insights, knowledge and tips on how to create successful Heritage Week events in your local community. Come and connect with fellow heritage enthusiasts, get some practical tips and more. Click here to learn more and register.
Irish Walled Towns Network
Kilkenny County Council Heritage Officer, Regina Fitzpatrick joined members of the Irish Walled Towns Network in Trim recently for their annual general meeting. During this gathering, the new Irish Walled Towns Network Strategy 2024-2028 was launched. Have a read of the new strategy here.
Oral History Kilkenny Networking Event
Join the Oral History Network of Ireland (OHNI) for a free in-person networking event. The event offers a space for oral historians to meet in an informal setting to discuss ideas and meet other people involved in oral history. It is also an opportunity to share your views on how Oral History Network Ireland (OHNI) can develop over the coming months and years. The event will take place on Saturday 13th April from 10:00am – 12:00pm in Kilkenny City Library, John’s Quay. Click here to learn and register.
Keep an eye out for OHNI Annual Conference: Oral History & Identity taking place on 21st-22nd June 2024 at Ulster University (Derry ~ Londonderry Campus). Call for paper deadline has been extended to Friday 5th April.
Community Archives and Heritage Group
The Community Archives and Heritage Group (CAHG), a national group which aims to support and promote community archives in the UK & Ireland. Recently, they have launched an exciting new project to expand their map of community archives within the UK and Ireland, your group / organisation has the opportunity to be included on the map free of charge. A great opportunity to become part of a substantial network currently representing over 750 community archives. The existing directory can be seen here.
Building Swifts into Urban Spaces Webinar
Kilkenny County Council completed a County Swift Survey, swifts are a migratory bird, a summer visitor to Ireland, that nest and rear their young, before flying back to Africa. Swifts have adapted to living in urban environments, as older buildings are restored, renovated or undergo an energy upgrade, nest sites opportunities are lost and is one contributing factor to swift population decline. It’s important we preserve current nest sites and also to introduce opportunities for new nest locations. BirdWatch Ireland is hosting a talk for engineers, planners and architects to explain how the needs of swifts can be incorporated into construction projects. Join Tara Adcock online for a webinar on Wednesday 17th April, 9:45am to learn more. Register on Eventbrite, click here.
This webinar is a collaboration between BirdWatch Ireland, Kilkenny County Council, and the Heritage Council and is financially supported by the National Parks & Wildlife Service under the National Biodiversity Action Plan (2023-2030).
Special Pollinator Award Category in the National Tidy Towns Competition
The National Biodiversity Data Centre has recently updated their pollinator resources, just in time as communities prepare to submit their Tidy Towns Pollinator Award application. Under the special category of the Tidy Towns Competition, the Pollinator Award enables communities to showcase what they’ve achieved over the past year to support pollinators locally in line with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. The updated publication “Local Communities: Actions to Help Pollinators” (Irish version) outlines 7 actions including identifying areas that are good for pollinators and a tool to track a communities progress in rolling out actions for pollinators. The closing date for the Tidy Towns main competition is Wednesday 8th May, the special category awards closing date is Wednesday 5th June. For more information on the Tidy Towns competition, go to www.tidytowns.ie. To review the wonderful pollinator resources, go to www.pollinators.ie.
Biodiversity Week 2024
Biodiversity Week organised by the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) runs from the May 17th – 26th 2024. There is a host of events being organised, should your organisation like organise an event and be included in Council’s promotions, please make contact with the Biodiversity Officer via biodiversity@kilkennycoco.ie before Monday 15th April. There are a range of activities being planned throughout the county, including bat walks, bug hunts, a moth identification session and gardening for pollinators library talks.
Kilkenny’s Biodiversity, A Discussion Paper
Watch out on Kilkenny County Council’s public consultation portal (https://consult.kilkenny.ie/) as in April, a Discussion Paper on Biodiversity will seeking comment from the public on their biodiversity concerns. This is the first stage of the process to develop a Biodiversity Action Plan for the County. A draft Biodiversity Action Plan will then be developed listing specific actions needs to halt biodiversity loss in Kilkenny by conservation, preservation and restoration, this will go out for public consultation during the summer and it is the ambition of the Biodiversity Officer to bring the draft plan for Council endorsement before the end of the year.
An Introduction to Dragonflies and Damselflies Workshop
Join the National Biodiversity Data Centre and Kilkenny County Council Heritage Office for an introduction to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Ireland. During this workshop we will look at the features used to identify Ireland’s Dragonfly and Damselfly species, how to survey for them, where to find them, and helpful suggestions on identification resources. This workshop is suitable for beginners and those wishing to refresh their identification skills. The workshop is taking place at Avalon House Hotel, Castlecomer, Kilkenny on Saturday 22nd June, 10:00am – 3:00pm. To book a place, visit https://biodiversityireland.ie/workshops/
County Carlow Heritage Seminar 2024
Come along for a day filled with fascinating talks, interactive workshops, and engaging discussions about the rich heritage of County Carlow. Whether you’re a local history expert or just curious about the past, this seminar is the perfect opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired. The seminar is taking place on Saturday 13th April, 10:00am – 4:00pm at Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow. Click here to learn more and register on Eventbrite.
