Celebrate heritage and education with Athlone Castle

Athlone Castle Visitor Centre is ready to celebrate all things ‘Heritage & Education: Learning from our Heritage” for Heritage Week 2020.

National Heritage Week runs from to Sunday, August 23, and accordingly, the team at Athlone Castle has programmed numerous exciting events throughout the week, catered to suit all ages! This year’s Heritage Week is a lot different from previous years, as Athlone Castle and many other Heritage sites have organised online events.

Demonstrations and workshops provide the focus for staff and heritage professionals to showcase Ireland’s rich medieval history. Medieval themed arts and crafts videos where people of all ages can make their own suit of armour for instance, is one of the highlights. This four-part series entitled ‘Medieval Themed Children’s Craft Tutorial’ will be available on Athlone Castle’s social channels. Having already made a sword and armour, Cultural Officer Joanna Grobosz will demonstrate to younger audiences how to make a medieval shield and helmet.

The tutorial to make a Medieval shield and helmet will be broadcast on Wednesday, August 19, at 5pm and on Friday, Augsut 21, at 1pm. Also, on Wednesday, August 19, join Cultural Assistant David Landers in taking a sneak peek at Athlone Castle’s Medieval collection. This online video will be available to view at 1pm on the Castle’s social channels.

Athlone Castle will also host the ’Bloodsports and Boozing in the Barracks’ talk on site on Thursday, August 20. Consultant Archaeologist and owner of Atlantic Archaeology, Angela Wallace will present a talk based on the finds uncovered during recent excavations at the Garda Station, Barrack Street in Athlone. This will be a fascinating glimpse in to the everyday life of the first soldiers stationed in Athlone around 1690. The finds excavated by Angela and her team suggest that the soldiers’ rowdy ways included drinking, smoking, and gambling on blood sports at the barracks site.

On Saturday, August 22, there will be an opportunity to see a Castle Desk Organiser being made. This will be a fun and creative task for all young medievalists. Young and old can follow this tutorial at 5pm on the Castle’s social channels. Another highlight of the day will be a podcast presented by a member of The Society for Creative Anachronism, Susannah of York, who will discuss what the Irish ate before potatoes; an intriguing look into the food and diets of the Middle Ages. This podcast will premiere at 1pm on Saturday, August 22.

All the week’s events culminate in another craft workshop on the final day of Heritage Week, Sunday, August 23. Join Cultural Officer Joanna Grobosz once again for a tutorial on how to ‘Make Your Own Hennin – Medieval Princess Hat’. This was the typical European women’s headdress that was the height of fashion in the 15th Century. This tutorial will be available on the Castle’s social channels at 5pm All of the free virtual events are supported by The Heritage Council under The Irish Walled Town Network 2020 Interpretation Fund.

Pre-booking is advised for the on-site talk, as places will be limited, and strict social distancing rules will apply. Online events will be broadcast on our social media channels. A full schedule of events with further details, times, and booking information is available to view on Athlone Castle’s website: www.athlonecastle.ie/events. Queries and requests for further information should be addressed to Athlone Castle on 090 6442130 or info@athlonecastle.ie