Mayo project highlighted in booklet celebrating 25 years of heritage officer work

A SPECIAL Heritage Council publication featuring stories from heritage officers in every county is being launched 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.

It includes the story of the Mayo Wetlands Survey, which sets out to map and record the county’s wetlands. The aim is to gather baseline information on the county’s wetland habitats and to raise awareness of the wetland resource. The survey will assist with the long-term protection of Mayo’s wetlands.

Mayo is renowned for its wetlands, including the vast expanses of peatland in the northwest of the county, its great lakes, and the River Moy, which is appreciated as one of Ireland’s premier salmon rivers. This survey will contribute to the protection of the wetlands as habitats for wildlife, providing biodiversity, improving water quality, storing floodwaters, providing recreational opportunities, and acting as a vital store of carbon (helping to mitigate against climate change).

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 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: https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/content/files/Opening-the-Door-to-Irelands-Heritage.pdf.

Speaking on the launch of the booklet, heritage officer for Mayo County Council Deirdre Cunningham said: “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. 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.”

The chairperson of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, added: “I have had the pleasure of working extensively with our heritage officers over many years and am constantly amazed by the shear variety of their work which is excellently captured in this beautiful 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.

“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.”