Ireland's Office of Public Works (OPW) has announced free admission to over 80 heritage sites on Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18, the opening weekend of National Heritage Week 2024.
There will be free admission to all fee-paying OPW Heritage sites - except for Kilmainham Gaol Museum in Dublin - this weekend.
A full list of OPW Heritage sites is available here via HeritageIreland.ie.
There is also a list of events for National Heritage Week 2024 available here via HeritageWeek.ie.
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Free admission to over 80 @opwireland heritage sites this weekend (17 & 18 August 2024) to celebrate @HeritageWeek ?
? Ormond Castle. Credit: Dylan Vaughan#HeritageWeek pic.twitter.com/OzYwVp8qsy
— Heritage Ireland (@HeritageIreOPW) August 16, 2024
For National Heritage Week 2024, the OPW is inviting visitors to explore the links between people and communities, to look at what brings us together and what connects us.
Physical routes dot the landscape, roads, paths, boreens, rivers, and canals, and remind us that societies have always strived to connect.
Discover a pathway into our past at Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre in the form of a togher – an Iron Age road – built in 148 BCE.
Corlea Trackway, Co Longford. (Ireland's Content Pool)
More recently, at Derrynane House, a 190-year-old poem by Daniel O’Connell’s daughter led to the discovery of a lost pathway in dense woodlands to the north of the Liberator’s house.
The exploration of our intangible heritage through this theme allows us to understand our connections through sport, pastimes, hobbies, family connections, religion and traditions.
Derrynane House and National Park, Caherdaniel, Co Kerry. (Ireland's Content Pool)
At Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Connemara – Pearse’s Cottage, you can explore what drew Patrick Pearse to Connemara – the area’s unique landscape and the ancient Gaelic culture and language which is still alive today.
Meanwhile, in Dublin, visitors to Pearse Museum – St Enda’s Park can see where the leader of the 1916 Rising, Patrick Pearse, and his brother Willie, lived and operated their pioneering Irish-speaking school from 1910 to 1916.
Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Pearse Cottage, Rosmuck, Connemara, Co Galway. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Organized by the Heritage Council, Ireland's National Heritage Week has become one of the country's largest cultural events.
“The theme for this year, 'Connections, Routes and Networks,' offers the opportunity to explore the ways we are connected to each other through physical or cultural connections," Rosemary Collier, Head of Heritage Services & Capital Works Delivery, said.
"Our sites offer a rich tapestry of crafts and traditions that tell the story of the connections between our people, heritage, communities and culture.
"With more than 80 sites across the country, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy."
Welcoming the free admission initiative, Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive at the Heritage Council said: "It will bring immense benefits to the public, allowing families and visitors to experience some of the richest and most beloved heritage sites in Ireland.
"National Heritage Week is a fantastic festival of events, where everyone from big organisations to small voluntary community groups come together to make significant contributions to the celebration of our national heritage.”
Highlights of OPW’s 2024 National Heritage Week Events Programme
Embark on a Local Link to the Past and use your Local Link ticket to gain free entry to sites on the Local Link network. Participating sites include the Glendalough and Clonmacnoise Monastic Sites and Visitor Centres, Portumna Castle and Gardens, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre – Oldbridge Estate, Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Sligo Abbey, Donegal Castle, Charles Fort, Ennis Friary, and Ionad an Bhlascaoid – the Blasket Centre.
Glendalough, Co Wicklow. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Acclaimed author Anne Chambers presents the life of Eleanor, Countess of Desmond (1545-1639) at Sligo Abbey. Lady Eleanor was an active participant in a period of immense social and political upheaval, chaos and change. This year marks the 400th anniversary of her impressive burial monument at Sligo Abbey.
Sligo Abbey, Sligo Town. (Ireland's Content Pool)
The Rock of Cashel present a talk on Pilgrimage in Medieval Tipperary by Dr. Louise Nugent.
Rock of Cashel. (Getty Images)
At John F Kennedy Arboretum, events highlight the site’s key role in conservation. Join experts such as Éanna Ní Lamhna and Dr Paddy Madden for educational walks for all ages.
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Casino Marino and Marino Resident's Association are celebrating the centenary of the Marino Housing Scheme, Dublin Corporation’s first large-scale suburban development. Join Casino guides on a walking tour to explore the history of the area that was once Lord Charlemont's demesne. Marino Resident's Association will have an exhibition of memorabilia on display in the Casino from the last one hundred years, displaying the evolution of the Marino housing estate from its conception to modern times.
Casino Marino, Marino, Co Dublin. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Irish language events will take place at Dublin Castle, Pearse Museum, Rathfarnham Castle, and the Rock of Cashel.
Rathfarnham Castle, Rathfarnham, Co Dublin. (Ireland's Content Pool)
A community-generated exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. Stories from the Gardens captures the memories of visitors and staff alike over the long history of this beloved institution.
National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, Co Dublin. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Wild Child Day at Dublin Castle: Explore the birds depicted in the art collection of the State Apartments - doves, blackbirds, ravens, owls, woodpeckers, peacocks and magpies. Following this, use materials from the Education Room and images of the birds depicted in the art collection to decorate bird boxes just like those hanging in the Dubh Linn Gardens.
Dublin Castle, Dublin. (Ireland's Content Pool)
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