Article first published in:
Wicklow Mountain Views – The Newsletter of the Wicklow Uplands Council.
Issue No. 31 – Winter 2022
Celebrating Heritage Week
The large Mass Rock on Granamore, one of the heritage features visited during the Heritage Week event.
One of the annual public events that Wicklow Uplands Council looks forward immensely to organising, is its contribution to the National Heritage Week programme.
Joining nearly 1,700 events and digital projects for the mid-August celebration, a guided ‘walk and talk’ led by Dr Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh on the slopes of west Wicklow’s Granamore was organised to explore this year’s theme of sustainability and biodiversity.
Once owned by the Duke of Devonshire (Lord Waterford), the mountainside location is filled with features that each tell a fascinating story of how the land has been utilised throughout the years – offering great insights into how Wicklow’s upland communities’ relationship with the surrounding hills has evolved throughout the centuries
Now part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, the guided walk visited the area’s old ruins, lazy beds, grouse butts, a mass rock and discussed the local customs and practices which have left their indelible mark to the landscape.
Organised in conjunction with the SUAS Project, project manager Declan Byrne shared how some of these farming methods have inspired a return to more traditional ways of sustainable, collaborative farming and land management practices by the Granamore Commonage Group who are actively participating in the scheme. Of particular interest to the attendees, were the hill-farmers ongoing actions focussed on habitat and biodiversity restoration, something that’s also been recognised in this year’s Farming for Nature Awards.
The evening event created a wonderful opportunity to share and discover some of Wicklow’s sometimes hidden heritage with a much wider audience. For those unable to attend, Dr Mac Cárthaigh, who is renowned for his work at the Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann/ The National Folklore Collection, is currently researching Granamore’s history as part of a heritage recording initiative commissioned by the SUAS Project. It is expected that the report will be published later this year.
Wicklow Uplands Council is supported by the Heritage Council under the Heritage Capacity Funding 2022.
– Photo featured in this article appear courtesy of Helen Lawless.
Newsletters Available Online
This newsletter and many of the previous publications are available online to view and download as PDF files directly from the Wicklow Uplands Council website.
CLICK HERE for this issue – Winter 2022.
CLICK HERE to view the full selection of newsletters dating back to 2006.
