This recently completed project used the network of walking trails in the east of the county (existing and in development) as a basis to develop a Local Heritage Recording Project.
Abarta Heritage, who oversaw the project, focused on the trails and associated towns, villages and places found along the way to discover and record heritage, folkore and points of interest. These included Kilmacanogue, Roundwood, Annamoe, Laragh, Rathdrum, Woodenbridge and Avoca.
The project ran for some six months in 2018, and saw the compiling of information using local information and other sources to generate digital “points of interest”.
Run in conjunction between Wicklow Uplands Council and the Heritage Office of Wicklow County Council, the process involved engaging with local communities, groups and individuals to record their stories relating to the historic settlements, wildlife and the rich cultural heritage of the area.
A Final Report on the project is available for viewing by following this link: Wicklow Trails Heritage Recording Project
A recent collection of Heritage Brochure Maps have been developed using the many heritage sites identified by the project with a number of other tourist products designed to enhance the visitor experience to be unveiled soon.
It is intended that its many findings will be utilised for future visitor and tourism interpretation to promote this area such as Ireland’s Ancient East and the County Wicklow Tourism and Wicklow County Council ‘Wicklow Outdoors’ brand.
A digital archive of all of the recordings is available by visiting http://www.countywicklowheritage.org/
This project, the first of it’s type to be undertaken in the east of the county, was inspired by other heritage recording projects that have been successfully carried out in recent years in the Blessington Lakeside area, the River Liffey, West Wicklow and South West Wicklow.
The Wicklow Trails Heritage Recording Project is co-ordinated jointly by the Heritage Office of Wicklow County Council and the Wicklow Uplands Council with funding support from The Heritage Council through the County Wicklow Heritage Plan Fund.
For all queries related to this project, please contact:
Deirdre Burns: dburns@wicklowcoco.ie T: 0404 20100
Brian Dunne bdunne@wicklowuplands.ie T: 01 281 8406.