A celebration of heritage in Killeshandra

Killeshandra is staging events in the Community Centre this Sunday, August 25, as part of National Heritage Week 2019.
The theme of this year’s national programme is ‘Pass Times in Times Past’. To that end, traditional games for young people will be staged at 2pm, outside, if weather permits. 
There will be demonstrations in the hall including sewing, knitting, crochet, crafts and story telling.

Story of Bricks and Brick Making
Barney Devine of Arney Bricks will give a presentation at 3pm on hand-made brick making and what was done in Arney, Co Fermanagh where bricks were made in recent memory. 
Eddie Brogan will demonstrate brick making and people will be invited to participate.
The event, according to Marie O’Reilly, will conclude with music and dancing around the fire with tea and homemade traditional baking.
Official events as part of National Heritage Week are being funded through the local Heritage Office and the Heritage Council. The community are grateful to Cavan’s heritage officer, Anne Marie Ward, for her assistance.

Rath Church restoration
Cavan Co Council has worked with Killeshandra Rath Church group in recent years to protect and restore the double vaulted brick ceiling of the Rath church.
Support was received from Adopt a Monument Scheme when the Rath Church was nominated as a monument of importance and worth. Last year, repairs were carried out on the 17th century brick ceiling and a temporary cover put in place.
Funding has been awarded this year through the Heritage Council and will be used to fund a permanent cover on the brick ceilings. Tenders have been posted and it is hoped this work will be completed by October this year.
Marie O’Reilly says the Rath Church group realised the importance of the bricks in the ceiling, as an early example of handmade bricks in Ireland. Bricks were only for the most wealthy in late 1600s.
Last month the Rath Church committee were awarded a further grant of €2,680 towards researching the source of the bricks used, which it’s thought were made and fired from local clay.
“We will engage Arney Bricks who will show history of brick making and help with brick making; Jim Fee, ceramic artist, in firing brick samples; Susan Roundtree, consultant architect who has widely researched early Irish bricks and Kevin Blackwood, heritage architect who has directed us on the work on the Rath church.” said Ms O’Reilly.
Susan and Kevin will met the community later in the year to report on their research. “If we source clay used in the bricks, the next stage will be to set up a brick-making project in the community,” added Ms O’Reilly.