Kilkenny project highlighted in new booklet celebrating 25 years of Heritage Officer work

A Kilkenny project features in a special new Heritage Council publication featuring stories from heritage officers in every county, launched today to mark 25 years since the Heritage Officer Network was founded.

The booklet, ‘Opening the door to Ireland’s heritage’ details one key heritage project from each local authority from the last three years which collectively, highlight the enormous contribution the Network has made to the preservation of our heritage over the last quarter of a century.

The booklet features the story of the Kilkenny Holy Wells Survey project, which documented and recorded the county’s holy wells, something which had not been done systematically across the county before.

Holy wells are a rich source of cultural heritage and provide insight into our spiritual, archaeological, religious, folkloric and geological past, but as older generations pass on, the knowledge and oral tradition surrounding holy wells were in danger of being lost forever.

With this background, the Kilkenny Heritage Forum decided that a holy wells survey in Kilkenny would be an important and valuable project before so much valuable information fell out of the public consciousness and collective memory without having been documented.

By recording information about the wells and mapping them, this project has ensured that there will be a record of the wells and traditions around them. It also preserves their place as important features of our cultural and built landscape in future planning for the county.

Kilkenny Heritage Officer Regina Fitzpatrick (second from right) at the launch of the booklet in the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny with CEO of the Heritage Council Virginia Teehan (left), Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD (second from left) and Chairperson of the Heritage Council Martina Moloney (right)

In a partnership between the Heritage Council and local authorities, the first heritage officers were appointed in 1999 in Kerry, Sligo and Galway with the aim of raising awareness of heritage issues within the local authority and among local communities. Since then, the heritage officer network has become synonymous with the protection and promotion of Ireland’s heritage and for the first time in 2021, every local authority in the country had appointed somebody to the role. 

While highlighting the important work they do, the stories in the publication also offer a stark insight into what may have been lost were it not for the heritage officers.

Mangan’s Clock in the heart of Cork city may have fallen into disrepair. The most historic buildings in Ballyshannon or Listowel may have been left derelict and allowed to crumble. The natural beach and dune habitats along the coast of Wicklow may have become irrevocably degraded and the craftsmanship of dry-stone walling on Inis Oirr may have receded.

The publication can be read in full on the Heritage Council website here.

“It is deeply satisfying to see documented in this publication the influence of the Heritage Officer Network in shaping our approach to heritage conservation and protection," said Heritage Officer for Kilkenny County Council Regina Fitzpatrick.

"Although we work as individuals at local authority level, what is clear from these pages is that the real strength of the Network is in the collective. These stories cover only a snapshot of recently completed projects from current heritage officers, so when we factor in the hundreds of past projects completed since 1999, it brings into the focus the enormous impact that the Local Authority Heritage Officer Programme has had.”

Chairperson of the Heritage Council Martina Moloney said she was constantly amazed by the shear variety of the work  captured in the publication.

"Not only do they provide advice, guidance, and information on all aspects of heritage, but they also secure funding, undertake research, collect data, and develop and lead a multitude of highly impactful and engaging projects," she said.

"Raising awareness locally, Heritage Officers inspire communities to value and take ownership of their important local heritage in all its forms. What their work achieves, ultimately, is that it opens the door to our heritage for people across Ireland and further afield, so that it can be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone.”

John Mulholland, Chair of the CCMA Rural Development, Community, Culture and Heritage (RCCH) Committee also attended the launch.

“What has always stood out to me about the Heritage Officer Network is the range and number of individuals, groups and funders involved in the projects they undertake," he said.

"It is very difficult to keep such a diverse range of interested parties singing off the same hymn sheet and getting the job done. This is the silent but tireless work of the Heritage Officers at play, to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. On behalf of the CCMA, I commend them for their dedication.”