African explorer and medical doctor story brought to life for Heritage Week

       

A statute of Ballybay GP Dr. Thomas Parke is outside the Natural History Museum or Dead Zoo in Dublin.

Yesterday, at a special Heritage Week event, participants heard about his adventures as part of an expedition mapping the Congo River in 1887.

He is credited with the “discovery” of the Mountains of the Moon, mountains on the Equator which at high altitudes are snow covered.

He also found a new large mammal species the “Forest Zebra”, which later turned out to be actually a relation of the giraffe, called an Okapi.

Glaslough Gatherings for Heritage Week

Yesterday a number of events were held to highlight the wide heritage values of the architecturally distinctive Glaslough village.

Castle Leslie historian Dr. Jackie Crawley held a talk – Never a Dull Moment – in their beautifully appointed Billiard Room focusing on some of the Leslie family members, including Shane Leslie who was a friend of Tolstoy, Yeats and Padraig Pearse.

People were free to wander around the castle and garden afterwards and then through the private gate to St. Salvator’s Church where Rev Lorraine presented a talk from the historic vestry minute books.  She was previously an archivist, and has been carefully cleaning and conserving the volumes before they are deposited with the Representative Church Body in Dublin.  Wedding photographs on display included of course the Hello magazine issue of Paul McCartny, of the Beatles marrying Heather Mills.  Sir Jack Leslie blew the cover of the wedding at the time, by telling the journalists to keep Tuesday free. The Tidy Towns group brought visitors on a tour of the village afterwards.

       

Photos: 

Rev. Lorraine with one of the Vestry Minute Books from St. Salvators.

The Billiard Room, Castle Leslie.

   

The Black Pigs Dyke, or Worm Ditch, is one of the most enigmatic Iron Age monuments in Ireland.

A small section was excavated by Aidan Walsh in 1982, and on Saturday he relived the dig and its findings at a Heritage Week walk starting from Scotshouse, County Monaghan.

The ancient archaeological earthwork, known locally as the Black Pigs Dyke or Worm Ditch, travels over drumlins and abuts lakes for almost 10km in west County Monaghan.   Recent research through the Monaghan Heritage Office since 2015 funded through the Heritage Council and Monaghan County Council has reconfirmed the enigmatic and elusive nature of this impressive monument and thrown up new findings and earlier dates for its construction. These are currently being compiled into an Archaeological Monograph.

Appearing like a giant serpent or péist crossing the land, the central earthen bank of the monument is flanked by two deep ditches, sandwiched between a large bank of earth to one side, and a long since burnt but once imposing oak palisade (line of posts 3-4 metres in height) positioned on the other.

It was claimed that this and other similar earthworks running east-west across the island were in fact the remnants of an old territorial boundary dividing the north and the south along a similar route to the current border. This claim by W.F. De Vismes Kane (of Drumreaske House) in a 1909 article, and subsequently popularised in the media remains to be proven.

The Black Pigs Dyke is one of the largest linear earthworks in Europe. It started construction over 3,000 years ago (between 1420-1270 BC) during the Bronze Age (2500-500BC). Further additions including the palisade were added one thousand years later (340-160 BC) in the Iron Age (500BC – 500AD).  It is estimated to have taken the equivalent of 1,000 people working twelve-hour days, two and a half years to construct the Monaghan West section.

The oak palisade was deliberately set on fire and burnt into the ground, around the same time that Navan Fort or Eamhain Mhacha in Armagh was filled with stones and timbers and ceremonially set alight in the year 95BC.

Welcome to Heritage Week in County Monaghan. Coordinated by the Heritage Council, National Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days which promote Europe’s common cultural heritage and is running from August 17th to 25th 2019.

Heritage Week, Ireland’s most popular cultural event, will see half a million people participate in over 2,200 events in 2019.

In Monaghan, the Monaghan County Council Heritage Office helps to facilitate and promote engagement in Heritage Week.

This year’s theme “Pastimes/Past Times” has shaped the type of events on offer. There are craft demonstrations and classes to partake in, as well as re-enactments of past times, nature activities and outdoor explorations to enjoy.

Event Booking is available on Eventbrite.

For more details on Heritage Week and the events being held in Monaghan please see:

What’s on in Monaghan

And

Check out this year’s Heritage Week Event Guide for Monaghan below:

Heritage Week Highlights

Heritage Week – Aidan Walsh digs up the past on the Black Pigs Dyke

Glaslough Gatherings for Heritage Week

African explorer and medical doctor story brought to life for Heritage Week

Bragan Bus Tour of Heritage Sites for Heritage Week

Heritage Week celebrates the rare birds on Sliabh Beagh Blanket Bog

Wild Child Day Wednesday August 21st

Two heritage walks climb two ‘mountains’ in Monaghan

Traditional skills day in Monaghan “let the rope out” for National Heritage Week

From Tours to Cures for Heritage Week in County Monaghan

Historic House Tours for Heritage Week

Black Pig’s Dyke

The Black Pig’s Dyke or Claí na Péiste is an enigmatic earthern monument, extending at Scotshouse to about 10km in length.  Consisting of two deep ditches and earthen banks, which are still visible and an oak palisade fence now only obvious from underground charcoal remains, this monument was constructed in the Iron Age or possible earlier and was burned around the same time that the temple at Emain Macha was set alight in Armagh. In this podcast, you will hear from a farmer who owns and looks after some of the monument, archaeologists and heritage specialists discussing its meaning, original purpose and why it is of value to society now.

Donagh Old Graveyard

Settled on a hillside close to Glaslough village, Donagh Old Graveyard is associated with St.Patrick, and indeed is very close to Armagh where Patrick established a church.  Within this protected graveyard there are the ruins of a medieval church, the 17^th century Donagh cross, two cross-bases, two seventeenth century grave-slabs and a cross-shaped headstone dated 1666 as well as numerous examples of headstones with intricate evocative folk art inscribed upon them. Recorded onsite, in this podcast you will hear from the local community associations, religious representatives, archaeologist and heritage specialists on why the site matters and on how a conservation plan is under development for this important place.

The Tin Church

Constructed from corrugated iron, the Tin Church in Laragh has had an interesting life, from construction, de-consecration, dereliction, conservation and now it’s re-use as a vibrant space cherished by the community and visitors alike. It is now a protected structure of national importance and has profile which enhances and provides a focus in the village.  In this podcast, recorded in the church, you will hear from the people who saved the church and brought it into the heart of their community, and from heritage specialists who advised along the way.

Mullyash Cairn

Situated on the border with County Armagh, the impressive Mullyash Cairn is a megalithic tomb with a rich cultural heritage of Lughnasa traditions.  It is protected and in state guardianship as a national monument.  With impressive views across the landscape, thousands of years ago the builders of this monument chose their site with prominence in mind.  In this podcast, we hear from local people about the importance of the site and their efforts to protect and celebrate it, and from the Clogher Historical Society who have been supporting their efforts.

Sliabh Beagh

The blanket bog plateau of Sliabh Beagh or Bragan in North Monaghan, Tyrone and Fermanagh is a special place for nature, hosting many rare species including the Hen Harrier and endangered Curlew. It provides water supplies and is an important carbon sink. It is a protected European site and a landscape where people come to walk and enjoy the health benefits of being in a quality outdoor environment.  In this podcast recorded onsite, we hear from walkers, local people, conservationists, bird watchers and heritage specialists about why Sliabh Beagh matters and how it makes a difference to our lives.

Listen to the podcast here:

Heritage Ireland 2030 Consultation

Monaghan County Council Heritage Office will be holding an open information and advice evening from 4:30pm – 8:00pm in the Market House, Monaghan on Thursday 7 February 2019 for anyone interested in engaging with the submission process for the new National Heritage Plan.  The last heritage plan was published in 2002, so it’s important to get involved now during this “policy window” as so many things have changed since then, primarily the number of people involved in heritage projects and the growing expertise at a local level.  We’d love to help you get involved to make your submission.

Details of the local event in Monaghan:

Heritage Ireland 2030 – Our new National Heritage Plan

Monaghan Have Your Say

The Market House, Monaghan Town.

Thursday 7 February 2019

4:30 – 8:00pm

For details on the National Heritage Plan and the consultation document , please see: https://www.chg.gov.ie/heritage/heritageireland2030/

Have your say:

• Have your say by email (heritageireland2030@chg.gov.ie)
• Have your say online (survey monkey)
• Have your say by post (Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6XO)
• Attend a workshop (details to be announced)

 

(Please note that the deadline for submissions on Heritage Ireland 2030 has been extended until 31 March 2019.)

 

Heritage Ireland 2030– a new national heritage plan

• Heritage Ireland 2030 is the Government’s commitment to a revitalised and refreshed National Heritage Plan.
• Heritage Ireland 2030 will recognise the vital role our heritage plays in our community, our economy and our society.
• Heritage Ireland 2030 will be a coherent, comprehensive and inspiring framework of values, principles and strategic priorities which will guide and inform the heritage sector over the next decade.
• Heritage Ireland 2030 will enshrine the shared responsibility of people, communities, businesses and local and national Government in protecting our heritage and ensuring it is cared for into the future.
• Heritage Ireland 2030 will help us enjoy, understand and care for our heritage.

Heritage Ireland 2030 will be formed around three Themes, built on a vision of our heritage being valued and protected for future generations, cherished and enjoyed:

Each of these Themes will have specific actions and objectives, shaped by this public consultation.