merrion street

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, today launched National Heritage Week, Ireland’s great annual celebration of our national heritage, which takes place from the 18th to the 26th of August. 

This year, Heritage Week is particularly special as it is the highlight of Ireland’s celebration of the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH). More than half a million people took part in Heritage Week 2017, making it Ireland’s most popular cultural event. 2018 will see more than 2,000 events taking place, with volunteers, co-ordinators and participants from every community. More information about the events taking place across the country is available at www.heritageweek.ie.

Speaking at today’s launch, Minister Madigan said:

I am delighted to be here to launch Heritage Week 2018. There are so many events taking place this year and the great thing is that most are free, so it is a wonderful opportunity for people and families of all ages to participate and learn about our heritage in an enjoyable way.

Heritage Week could not happen without the dedication and enthusiasm of the event organisers and co-ordinators across the country, the Heritage Council, our museums and libraries, the OPW, and my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service, not to mention the time and energy given so generously by volunteers and community groups. To all of those involved, I would like to say thank you, your work is incredibly important and Heritage Week could not be the success it is without you. Because of you, it continues to go from strength to strength, promoting awareness and education about our heritage and encouraging its conservation and preservation, bringing communities together and building shared understandings of the places where we live.

I wish everyone involved in Heritage Week 2018 huge success and enjoyment.