Monastic launch of Irish Heritage Week

A celebration of heritage throughout the EU is to have its Irish launch in the sixth-century monastic settlement in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, this afternoon.

European Heritage Days will begin a Europe-wide programme of events targeted at 800 million people. The programme will offer the chance to experience diverse sites and monuments, many of which are not usually open to the public.

Under the slogan Europe a Common Heritage, each participating country chooses its themes and organises activities around heritage sites.

In Norway there will be "an exploration of The Medical Cultural Heritage", while in France there is to be a celebration of "Spiritual Heritage". There will be exhibitions of major recent archaeological discoveries in Slovenia.

Details of sites and events in the Republic, where Heritage Days will be officially known as Heritage Week, were revealed to the press at a pre-launch briefing in Dublin Castle yesterday.

While the Heritage Week officially runs from tomorrow, September 7th to 14th, and involves more than 500 events and openings across the State, a conference is being held in Dublin Castle this morning entitled "On the Edge of Europe - In the Heart of a Continent".

This afternoon in Glendalough, the official opening ceremony gets under way at 3 p.m, and will be the scene of historical re-enactments which are designed to bring the monastic site to life.

The public launch is to be attended by junior ministers at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher and Mr Noel Ahern, along with the deputy secretary general of the Council of Europe, Muad de Boer Buquicchio.

In addition to the architectural heritage, the week will also feature aspects of cultural and natural heritage from displays of traditional crafts to researching family history and the discovery of flora and fauna.

Sunday, September 14th, has also been designated National Mill Day, when mills may be viewed in various states of preservation.

Numerous old mills have been preserved through voluntary effort, and may be seen in such counties as Kerry, Wexford, Roscommon, Waterford, Westmeath, Mayo, Kilkenny, Antrim and Dublin.For a full list see the guide produced by the Heritage Service at the Department of the Environment.

A Heritage Card which offers discounts and unlimited admission to all sites managed by the Heritage Service has been produced. The cost is from €7.50.

It has also produced a booklet on Heritage Week, detailing several hundred attractions county by county.

In Northern Ireland, Heritage Days will involve about 180 buildings opening free to the public on Saturday, September 20th, and Sunday, September 21st.

There will also be the chance to join guided walks in historic towns, villages and conservation areas.