Electric Picnic host backs new Airbnb Heritage Week project

The host of the Electric Picnic is backing an Airbnb initiative to celebrate the 25th year of Heritage Week.

To celebrate the 25th year of Heritage Week (17-25 August) in Ireland and mark almost a year since its partnership with Historic Houses of Ireland, Airbnb has curated a wish list of historic homes for those looking to explore and embrace Ireland’s rich heritage.

Launched back in July 2022, Airbnb’s Historical Homes now has around 43,000 listings globally categorised as Historic Homes.

Apart from hosting the Electric Picnic at Stradbally Hall, Thomas Cosby is Chairman of Historic Houses of Ireland. He endorsed the Airbnb move.

“Ireland’s National Heritage Week – led by the brilliant team at the Heritage Council – is an important week for our members and provides a great opportunity to showcase the rich heritage Ireland has to offer. A large portion of these homes are situated in rural parts of the country and rely heavily on tourism to keep these Historic Houses alive. Initiatives like Heritage Week and support from Airbnb through our partnership, provides the opportunity for more of our members to open their houses to visitors and continue to promote Ireland’s heritage for years to come,” he said.

From exploring the ancestral home of High Kings and traditional Kings of Connacht at a Garden Cottage in Co Roscommon to learning the ins and outs of horseshoeing at The Cookhouse farm stay in Co Dublin, Airbnb says it offers many unique getaways in Ireland for those looking to connect and explore the country’s rich history and heritage.

Airbnb says it is committed to supporting the preservation of unique and historically significant buildings in Europe, and last year, announced a partnership with Historic Houses of Ireland. The collaboration included the creation of a fund available to members of Historic Houses of Ireland to support the development, maintenance and restoration of these important properties.

Derek Nolan, Head of Public Policy for Ireland at Airbnb, said: “National Heritage Week is a brilliant festival to remind us of Ireland’s beautiful historic houses, which provide a depth of history and a uniqueness to local tourism across Ireland. These homes contribute to the beauty and heritage of rural Ireland, and this week they will open their doors to visitors looking to immerse themselves in Irish heritage. At Airbnb, we are proud of our contribution to supporting these historic sites through our partnership with Historic Houses of Ireland and are committed to helping their members generate income to maintain and promote these heritage properties”.

Among the houses are a Garden Cottage in Roscommon to a The Cookhouse farm stay in Dublin.