Cavan communities open the door to heritage

Communities across Cavan have responded admirably to this year’s call to ‘Open the door to heritage’ by creating a series of online projects and a limited number of live events.

The following is a taste of some of the National Heritage Week Projects / events happening across County Cavan.

Explore Drumlane Abbey through a guided tour scheduled for this Saturday, August 21 at 3pm or enjoy a virtual tour with some fantastic photography. To ensure adherence to public health guidelines, please make contact with the organisers.

Belturbet Railway Station is laying on a host of heritage events. From the comfort of their own home viewers can enjoy a virtual tour of Belturbet Railway at their leisure on the national heritage week website. Also, you can head along in person this Thursday for a Craft Fair/Workshops at the Railway Station Museum from 2-5pm. Remaining in Belturbet, Jonathan Smyth presents a talk ‘Tales from the Railway of Cavan’ on this Friday at 4pm.

There’s more fascinating history presented on Saturday at 4pm as Dr Brendan Scott discusses the Plantation of Belturbet.

Then at 4pm on Sunday which is ‘Water Heritage Day’, George Morrissey will deliver a lecture on ‘The Steamship Belturbet’.

One not to be missed is ‘Stories of Owendoon House’, known to many today as Jampa Ling Tibetan Centre in Bawnboy. There’s an opportunity to listen online to a collection of reminiscences about the house and one lady in particular, the late Kathleen Plunkett (nee Prior).

For a little bit of natural heritage, Killeshandra Heritage Group will host an event at the strand on August 21 celebrating its fabulous waterways. In the morning Ben Malone of LAWPRO will give a talk on water quality and environmentalist Heather Bothwell wildlife in the lakes, and there will be demos by local anglers. Drumgoon Hill and Graveyard Committee has organised a packed schedule of events for August 22, ‘Barnagrow Lake – It’s Heritage and History’, including a lakeshore Walk, with ecologist Billy, Brian McDonald of NFGWS and local historian Eugene Markey. Brian will also give a talk on the History of Dernakesh Group Water Scheme. Later ther will be a focus on is Biodiversity with Lakeside Ecology Activities for Families, led by ecologist Goska Wilkosky and Ben Malone, LAWPRO (Local Authorities Waters Programme). Kilmore Diocesan Pastrol Centre will host an online lecture by Fr Liam Kelly on August 19 while a guided historical walk of Mullagh will take place on Saturday August 21st led by Madeline Ui Mhealoid, St Kilian’s Heritage Centre.

Our bogs also feature as part of Heritage Week, Kilconny Bog Mullagh will host an Plein Art Day while the West Cavan Bogs Association also has plans to promote their wonderful project.

Cavan Heritage Office is promoting an online heritage project entitled ‘Access your Creativity through the Landscape’ presented by artists Heather Brett, Kim Doherty and Julie Aldridge.

Despite the restrictions placed on Heritage Week, communities in Cavan have done themselves proud in ensuring that the county’s heritage is made accessible to all.