Celebrating Heritage: Nominations for Laois event organisers wanted

The Heritage Council has announced details of this year’s National Heritage Week Awards, inviting nominations from all event organisers in Laois.

Every year, the Heritage Council asks for nominations of individuals or groups of people who showcased successful heritage projects and hosted engaging events during the festival.

Winners from previous years include Laois native Teddy Fennelly who took home the Heritage Hero Award in 2022 for his outstanding contribution of more than fifty years to the protection and promotion of heritage.

BirdWatch Ireland in association with Kildare Bat Group and Laois Heritage Office also won in 2022 the Biodiversity Award for their ‘Bats about Rooks’ event which saw the group arrange a walk for all ages through the People’s Park in Portlaoise to hear all about its bird and bat life. 

Event organisers must put themselves forward for consideration for an award and can submit nominations for the National Heritage Awards before the deadline on Tuesday September 24 2024.

Included in the award categories is a county award which recognises the best heritage project in each county.

In 2023, the Laois branch of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage were the winners in Laois for their tour of some of the 20th century buildings of Portlaoise that often do not receive the attention they deserve, including the only round house in the county. 

This year’s National Heritage Week Awards will be comprised of the county awards, as well as a number of special categories, some of which are:

The Connections, Routes and Networks Award which is awarded to an event that made a special effort to incorporate the 2024 theme of National Heritage Week being connections, routes and networks.

The Wild Child Event Award which is awarded to an event that happened on Wild Child Day, August 24 2024 and which successfully encouraged children and families to get outdoors and explore the natural heritage and biodiversity in their locality.

The Water Heritage Award is awarded to a Water Heritage Day event, held on August 25 2024. Events considered include those that explored how a canal, river, lake or sea shaped the heritage of a locality or celebrated water as an integral part of our natural heritage.

This award is presented in conjunction with the Local Authority Waters Programme.

The Irish Language Award which is awarded to an event that took place through the Irish Language and/or encouraged participation or activity in the Irish language.

The Sustainability and Climate Heritage Award is awarded to an event or project that made efforts to incorporate environmentally friendly practices to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the natural world, or an event that provided education on the impact of climate change and good sustainability practices.

In addition to the national awards, the Heritage Council also gives a "County Award" to the best event or project in each local authority area as nominated.

This award is based on how well the event or project raised awareness about an element of heritage and how they promoted the event and involved the community.

Projects will be assessed on the basis of their local reach and community engagement, educational value and the level to which they involve different age groups. 

The awards ceremony will take place on November 15 2024 at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin.