Vast range of Heritage Week events in local region

Heritage Week is back, and this year's festivities offer an array of exciting events taking place at heritage sites across Athlone, South Westmeath, South Roscommon and West Offaly.

Running from Saturday, August 15 to Sunday, August 23, Heritage Week 2025 celebrates the rich tapestry of our shared past through a packed schedule of hands-on workshops and guided tours, to talks on stories passed down through generations. Whether you are a born and bred local, or a curious visitor, there are events to enjoy throughout the week.

Heritage Week unites communities, families, organisations and cultural institutions to build awareness about the value of heritage and support its conservation.

Organised by the Heritage Council, National Heritage Week is one of Ireland’s largest cultural events. The OPW supports National Heritage Week in the hosting the annual eight day schedule, ensuring individuals, groups and families have the opportunity to explore what Ireland’s heritage sites has to offer.

This year's theme 'Heritage at Risk' invites us to reflect on endangered natural, cultural, and built heritage, and explore ways to respond with care, creativity, and collective responsibility.

ATHLONE & SOUTH WESTMEATH

Walking Tour of Walled Town of Athlone

WHERE: Athlone Civic Centre

WHEN: August 18, 7pm-8.15pm

Join local Historian Gearoid O’Brien and Heritage Officer Melanie McQuade for a guided walk around the medieval walled town of Athlone.

Hear about the history of the town defences, recent conservation works completed on the wall and plans for future conservation. There will be an opportunity to see some parts of the Town Wall not usually accessible to the public.

Athlone Little Theatre 90th Anniversary Exhibition

WHERE: Athlone Civic Centre Atrium

WHEN: August 17-21, 9am-5pm

This exhibition displays aspects of the theatre's history through newspaper articles, photographs and theatre programmes. It will include a list of all the people who performed on stage with the group over the past nine decades.

Crossing the Bridge - Connaught Street Poems

WHERE: Athlone Library

WHEN: August 15-22, 10am-5pm

As part of the John Broderick Emerging Writing Award received in 2024, poet Jackie Gorman has written a sequence of poems about Connaught Street in Athlone. This sequence of poems is now published by the Factory and copies of the booklet are available free of charge at Athlone Library during Heritage Week.

Traditional Market & Craft Demonstrations

WHERE: The Hollow, Battery Bridge

WHEN: August 23, 12pm-4pm

Market stalls, food, music, free face painting and family fun. Endangered skills demonstrated live, including, pottery making, basket weaving, butter churning, woodcarving and knitting.

The Siege of Jadotville Lecture & Book Launch

WHERE: The Shamrock Lodge Hotel

WHEN: August 19, 7pm

A public lecture on the Siege of Jadotville, entitled 'Jadotville Revisited - The Untold Story', will be delivered by retired Commandant Leo Quinlan. The lecture will provide fresh insight into the leadership and enduring legacy of the military operation in DR Congo in September 1961. The evening will also feature the local launch of a book, 'Jadotville – Benchmark for Bravery', written by retired Lt Colonel Dan Harvey.

Documenting Athlone Castle’s Collection: Free Workshop for Adults

WHERE: Abbey Road Artist's Studios, St Mary's Hall

WHEN: August 15, 3.30pm-5pm

Athlone Castle is hosting a free hands-on collection cataloguing workshop offering a unique opportunity to learn about museum collections, heritage preservation and the work involved in protecting cultural heritage. Participants will gain behind-the-scenes experience of museum work, learn how to safely handle museum artefacts, complete a condition check, and follow the steps involved in creating a catalogue entry.

Who Do You Think You Are?

WHERE: Dean Crowe Theatre

WHEN: August 18, 2pm

A unique opportunity to learn how to carry out this research effectively with leading genealogist and author John Grenham.

Connaught Street Poetry Session

WHERE: Dean Crowe Theatre

WHENl August 15, 4-5pm

The Connaught Street & Environs Community Group is pressenting an afternoon of poetry, featuring Des Egan, Tadhg Carey, Gearod O'Brien, Christa De Brun, Linda Butler and Jackie Gorman.

The Decorative and Building Stones of Athlone

WHERE: Athlone Castle

WHEN: August 22, 12pm-1.30pm

Athlone's buildings, walls and pavements are constructed of a variety of local and imported building and decorative stone types. This walk will provide a hands-on examination of the varieties encountered, where different fossils will be seen, as well as the range of finishes applied to stone by those craftspersons who worked it.

Urban Fossil Walk

WHERE: Athlone Castle

WHEN: August 17, 10am-11am

Palaeontologists from University College Cork will share the secrets of the fossils in the building stones of places that we walk by every day, explaining how they formed, what they were and where they lived.

Voices from the Shannon - Rediscovering the Geoffrey Foy Collection Heritage Week Listening Event

WHERE: Athlone Library

WHEN: August 20, 11am-12pm

Join Westmeath County Council Heritage Office and MacConmara Heritage Consulting for a unique online journey through the recently digitised Geoffrey Foy Collection, one of County Westmeath's most important archives of recorded memory. For the first time, audiences will hear a curated selection of voices recorded by Geoffrey Foy, capturing the lives, traditions and culture of communities along the River Shannon.

Walking Tour of the Athlone Gun Batteries

WHERE: Meet at the end of Talbot Avenue next to the No. 1 Gun Battery.

WHEN: August 19, 7pm-8pm

A walking tour of the locations of the eight Gun Batteries of Athlone which were constructed late 18th and early 19th centuries with committee member Gearoid O’Brien using our recently launched story map of theses batteries.

Hands-on Traditional Irish Crafts Day

WHERE: Dún na Sí Heritage Park, Moate

WHEN: August 15, 11am-3pm

The event will focus on delivering an accessible, interactive demonstration and workshop, for the purpose of safeguarding traditional Irish rural craft skills that are increasingly under threat of disappearing due to a decline in opportunities for intergenerational learning. Alongside the demonstration, we will host an open public workshop for visitors of the park.

Hands DVD Showcase - Patchwork, Lace & Embroidery

WHERE: Moate Library

WHEN: August 17, 11am-12.30pm

Hands DVD were recorded when imbued by a sense of urgency to record crafts in their natural surroundings before they disappeared completely. This collection of 37 films on traditional Irish crafts and lifestyles, places emphasis on the skills of human hands rather than on machines.

Local Voices, National Memory: The Irish Folklore Commission & The School’s Collection Exhibition

WHERE: Moate Library

WHEN: August 15-22, various times, starting daily at 9.45am

Moate Library presents a small exhibition focusing on the history of folklore preservation in the country, through the specific lens of the Irish Folklore Commission and the School’s Collection.

Moate Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann trad session & storytelling

WHERE: Moate Library

WHEN: August 21, 1.30pm-2.30pm

An afternoon of traditional Irish storytelling from a local seanchaí and also some traditional Irish music played by Moate branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Hidden Letters- Sacred Patterns

WHERE: Tuar Ard Arts Centre Moate

WHEN: August 20, 6.30pm-8.30pm

Hidden Letters – Sacred Patterns is an adult heritage art workshop inspired by the animals, symbols, and illuminated letters of the Book of Kells. This creative drawing session invites participants to slow down and explore the beauty, symbolism, and craftsmanship of medieval Irish manuscript art in a calm and welcoming environment.

Follow the Buzz

WHERE: Jacks Stop on the Old Rail Trail Greenway, Streamstown

WHEN: August 22, 11am - 12pm

A free and exciting nature scavenger hunt designed especially for children. Participants will discover fascinating facts about local plants and animals; learn about the importance of biodiversity; and understand how to respect and protect nature.

Pedals, Petals & Pollinators: A Botanical Bike Ride on the Streamstown Greenway

WHERE: Streamstown Greenway

WHEN: August 23, 9.30am-12.30pm

Join Damian Murtagh, NPWS Conservation Ranger, recreational cyclist and field botany enthusiast, for a guided botanical bike ride along the Streamstown Greenway. This guided cycle will explore the rich natural heritage of the Greenway and provide an opportunity to learn more about the ecology and biodiversity of this unique landscape. This event is suitable for competent cyclists only.

Westmeath Field Names Recording Project Heritage Week Talk

WHERE: Sip Café, Ballymore

WHEN: August 21, 6.30pm-7.30pm

Dr Aengus Ó Fionnagáin will give an illustrated talk on the field names and place names collected by the Westmeath Field Names Recording Project. He will discuss the origins and meanings of several place names focusing on a selection of names collected in the Ballymore area, as well as commentary on some historical field names.

Exploring the Fens of Lough Sewdy with George Smith, Blackthorn Ecology

WHERE: Fr Dalton GAA Grounds

WHEN: August 16, 10am-2pm

Join ecologist George Smith of Blackthorn Ecology for a guided exploration of the unique fen habitats surrounding Lough Sewdy. Lough Sewdy is bordered by a rare and ecologically important type of wetland known as fen. This event offers an opportunity to discover what fens are, why they are so special, and how we can work to conserve and restore these valuable habitats.

SOUTH ROSCOMMON

Bog Walk - Ballydangan Bog Red Grouse Project

WHERE: Moore Community Hall

WHEN: August 21, 6pm-7.30pm

Moore Community Centre will host a short introduction to the Ballydangan Bog Red Grouse Project, followed by a guided visit to the project site.

Learn how practical habitat management is helping to restore red grouse and benefit other breeding birds and wildlife. The visit will showcase best-practice conservation techniques and provide an opportunity to discuss the project with those involved.

Exploring the Forgotten History and Culture of Lough Ree's Shoreline

WHERE: Portrunny Harbour

WHEN: August 20, 9.30am-2pm

Lough Ree Access for All will run two fully accessible heritage boat tours, at 10am and 12.30pm, on Thursday, August 20, from Portrunny Harbour. The three specially adapted boats will together accommodate up to 52 participants across the morning tours. The trip explores the rich history of the 'Lake of Kings' along the Roscommon shoreline, bringing to life the powerful stories, archaeology and landscapes that shape this part of the Shannon.

Portrunny Bay Lakeside Storytime

WHERE: Portrunny Bay

WHEN: August 23, 2.30pm-3.30pm

This session aimed at children, aged 4-10 years, will cover how to be kind and grateful to nature. It will awaken an understanding of how actions can make a difference. This session will be interactive with discussions and creating art pieces.

Rahara Field Names Project

WHERE: Rahara National School

WHEN: August 16, 10.30am-12pm

The project aims to record field names and the stories connected with them before this valuable local knowledge is lost. These names tell us about the history of the land, the families who farmed it, old farming practices and local landmarks.

The Potts Family and Correen Castle

WHERE: Moore Community Hall

WHEN: August 22, 7pm-8.30pm

The talk, by Moore History Group chairperson, Padraic Kilduff, will cover a period from the early 1700s to the 1940s and feature the Potts families from county Westmeath and their connections to Correen Castle in South Roscommon.

WEST OFFALY

Exploring the Earley Studio Stained Glass in the Church of the Holy Family, Tubber

WHERE: The Church of the Holy Family

WHEN: August 19, 6pm-7pm

Michael Earley will discuss the background to the Earley Stained Glass studios in Ireland and their work. The Church of the Holy Family in Tubber has a very fine selection of windows and Michael will relate how they were made and the symbolism featured. A unique opportunity to view these windows with an expert guide.

Drop the Needle and Reminisce

WHERE: Banagher Library

WHEN: August 22, 11am-12pm

Drop in for a coffee and a chat while listening to some old vinyl records. Bring your own or chose from the library's collection. Sit back, have a chat and relax.

Echoes of St. Manchan and his Mother Mella

WHERE: Lemanaghan School House

WHEN: August 15, 1pm-4.30pm

A guided walk along the old pilgrim routes of St. Manchan, travelling through landscapes shaped by centuries of human footsteps and the slow, patient formation of peat. Just as each layer of peat holds the memory of a time long past, these routes carry the stories of the people who lived beside the bog, worked its surface, and crossed it in search of spiritual refuge.

Bat Walk

WHERE: Banagher Outdoor Swimming Pool

WHEN: August 21, 8.30pm-10pm

Join Banagher Tidy Towns to explore the local bat population beside the River Shannon. The walk will be led by Therese Kelly, who has been surveying bats in the area for over ten years. Bat detectors and thermal imagers will be available.