Every year Ireland’s Heritage Council awards the Heritage Hero Award to an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the protection and promotion of heritage. This year’s recipient of the award, which is based on nominations from the public, is Offaly man James Scully, whose lifelong passion for local history and heritage was sparked at an early age.
“It came in childhood, from walking along the Grand Canal, east and west of Tullamore, and seeing all these strange buildings – castles, aqueducts, canal locks and railway bridges – which I was always attracted to,” says Scully.
“I was very fond of walking and still am, and it meant that from an early age I got a great fondness for the canal, which became one of the leading subjects of my historical research.”
Having grown up in Tullamore, Scully subsequently met and married the love of his life, Carmel Killackey, and moved to nearby Banagher in west Offaly, where he worked as a primary schoolteacher for more than three decades, before officially retiring in 2012. Today he lives in Meelick, Co Galway, a few kilometres away on the opposite bank of the Shannon.
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Arguably, in giving up the day job, the father of three grown-up sons was simply clearing space for his ever-expanding voluntary heritage work. Among his myriad achievements down the years has been the establishment of Banagher’s Bronte Society, commemorating the writer Charlotte Bronte’s connection by marriage with the town.
Bronte, best known as the author of Jane Eyre, visited Banagher for a week during her honeymoon; however, she died just nine months later, while pregnant. Her heartbroken widower, Arthur Bell Nicholls, ultimately returned to live in the Offaly village for several decades, bringing with him many now invaluable Bronte memorabilia from her home in Haworth, Yorkshire.
Scully is a keen writer himself and has published extensively on local history, in journals and books. His research-based works include Forgotten Souls: Memorials in St Rynagh’s Old Graveyard, and Meelick Martello Tower, while he has delivered talks including The Stories and Glories of Offaly Graveyards.
He has also been a keen advocate for the conservation of Fort Eliza, a Napoleonic fortification in Banagher that had fallen into dereliction. His love for the building saw him assist Waterways Ireland with the development of interpretive signage at the site, the better for others to appreciate it.
Scully joined the historical and archaeological society Offaly History more than 50 years ago and is a believer in the value for all of us of understanding our historical heritage. “It enriches a community and enriches the landscape,” he says.
Pointing to Fort Eliza as a case in point, he says that although “40 years ago it was overgrown, and more or less an enclosure for farm animals”, today, after much voluntary work by committed locals, supported by government agencies, the fortifications, complete with replica cannon, can be enjoyed by visitors.
In the 1970s, most of Offaly History’s expeditions through the landscape were conducted on bicycles, guided by the society’s purchase of 47 six-inch Ordnance Survey of Ireland maps, which covered the entire county. It was an enormous investment at the time, Scully recalls, but one that would pay dividends.
“They were the key to the landscape and we would plan cycle journeys out to all sorts of places. All the information we needed was there on the map. It gave us a great love of the landscape,” he says.
Still today he enjoys nothing more than to bring people on tours of his beloved Grand Canal, from Edenderry and Daingean to Tullamore, Rahan, Pollagh, Ferbane and Belmont, and right out to Shannon Harbour.
These are his stamping grounds and, if anything, he loves the Grand Canal pathways even more now than he did as a youngster. “I’ve been walking through these communities for so long that I have friends all along it,” he explains.
Heritage Week Award winners 2024
Heritage Week saw fantastic events take place across Ireland. Here are the winners of the Heritage Week Awards 2024:
Inclusive Heritage Award
Winner
Project: Travelling Tales – Community-led Traveller heritage work
About: Cork Traveller Women’s Network held a number of Traveller Heritage events at Cork Public Museum and other locations for Heritage Week, including Travelling Tales, a conversation with Traveller women and oral historian James Furey about the museum’s newest Traveller heritage project – mapping stories and tradition through oral histories and family trees.
It was followed by a Traveller Culture exhibition, featuring a full-sized barrel-top wagon, with photos and short films celebrating Traveller culture and heritage.
Runners-up
Project: Do You Have a Nose for History?
About: Scent is known for its ability to evoke memories, and the OPW’s free tour of Athenry Castle in Co Galway featured some of the fragrances of our medieval past to help visitors get even more immersed in their step back in time. The event began with shopkeepers, community groups and summer-school participants sharing their stories on the scents that bring back good memories from the past, from the smell of boxty to the aroma of grass in summertime.
Project: Living Heritage documentary
About: Living Heritage, an audio documentary made by Good Day Cork, explored the experiences of residents in the city from various cultural backgrounds and how their own traditions have fused with those of the locality, followed by talks and discussions about Cork’s diverse and international history.
Irish Language Award
Winner
Project: In Search of Airgíalla/Ar thóir Airghíalla
About: The Heritage Section of Monaghan County Council brought visitors back in time for a guided exploration of the beautiful landscape of Oriel, which, for 1,000 years between the sixth and 16th centuries, was one of the three big kingdoms of Ulster. This bilingual tour around significant sites of Oriel, on both sides of the present-day Border, included Tullahogue, Clocher Hill fort, the Worm Ditch and Rooskey Loch, guided by a local historian.
Runners-up
Project: Harmony & Heritage: A Milltown Tribute
About: Milltown Community Council and Milltown Heritage Group presented a commemorative Mass in honour of Fr Liam O’Beirn, a noted Gaelic scholar and writer, who died in the 1940s, followed by the official opening of Milltown Community Museum, at Milltown Community Centre, with talks and presentations including a chance to hear the songs that were in vogue 130 years ago, at the time of Fr O’Beirn’s ordination.
Project: Féile Saibhreas Mhachaire Rabhartaigh
About: Tógra Fiontar and Cultúr Uladh CTR celebrated all that is special about Magheroarty, in Gortahork, Co Donegal, including its community, culture, heritage and countryside. Events took place at Teach Micí Mac Gabhann, a heritage cottage, as well as on Magheroarty beach, on the sea and in the local pub, including music, dancing, sports, games, sea angling, island tours and an informational walk amid the sand dunes, a country market, ceilí and bus trip.
Connections, Routes and Networks Award
Winner
Project: From Salt to Stone
About: Locals and visitors alike were invited to meet at the village pump in Main Street, Mountcharles, Co Donegal, for a theatrical meander through the hilltop village. Organised by Mountcharles Heritage Group, the event offered participants a chance to step back in time and meet historical characters from Mountcharles, hear about their lives in what was a vibrant commercial hub and find out how they reached out to the world. From monks to tailors and from quarries to dance halls, all sorts of local characters and activities were recalled and celebrated.
Runners-up
Project: Simulation of RL Edgeworth’s Pioneering Telegraphic Message
About: The Maria Edgeworth Centre in Longford recreated the historic telegraphic message made from Dublin to Galway in 1803, using a model of inventor, educationalist, writer and politician Richard Lovell Edgeworth’s optical telegraph, a form of visual communication that was to be a catalyst for modern telecommunications.
Project: A Journey of Discovery
About: Friends of Columbanus Myshall, based in the scenic Co Carlow village of Myshall at the foot of Mount Leinster, delivered a series of heritage walking events over five days, involving local community organisations, from Myshall to Bangor in Co Down, providing an opportunity to share the story of Saint Columbanus and the Columban Way with communities along the route.
Sustainability and Climate Award
Winner
Project: Weekend of Marine Heritage-Themed Events on Kinvara Quay, Galway
About: Cuan Beo, a community group dedicated to restoring and improving the natural habitat, species, environment and heritage of Galway Bay, hosted a weekend of marine heritage-themed events at the 45th annual Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara, Co Galway. It included an array of marine-themed stalls, talks, workshops, discussions and cookery demonstrations in the Cuan Beo Marquee. As well as an exhibition of the traditional Galway Bay flat-bottom boat, displays focused on Cuan Beo’s active efforts to restore native oyster reefs.
Runners-up
Project: BioBlitz at Beaumont Quarry
Cork Nature Network celebrated Heritage Week with a blitz in Beaumont Quarry, where members of the community turned out to help identify as many plants, insects and animals as possible in a two-hour period. Experts were on hand to verify species and a guided walk through the quarry followed, providing more information about its flora and fauna. Once a commercial enterprise, today the abandoned lime quarry is a popular amenity on the city’s’ south side, and a haven for wildlife.
Project: Wild Bee Festival 2024
About: Organised by the National Biodiversity Data Centre and Galway City Council, this event took place at Knocknacarra Community Centre to raise awareness of Ireland’s pollinators and show how people can help them thrive in their local community. It included a range of free talks and workshops led by biodiversity experts, council staff and community groups, including talks entitled How can Communities Help Pollinators? and Learn about Ireland’s Bumblebees.
Water Heritage Award
Winner
Project: Folly Tales and Treasure Trails
About: Ballycumber Tidy Towns and Freshwater Ballycumber Brosna in Offaly joined forces to highlight the importance of the river Brosna, which flows between Clara, Ballycumber, Pollagh and Ferbane, connecting communities. In each community there is a bridge, connecting travellers and locals alike. Events were held to celebrate the river, including art workshops for children. In one, hosted by local art therapist Tara Mulvihill, participants helped to design a shared flag to celebrate the Brosna, to be flown on all the bridges, reminding those who cross of their connectedness.
Runners-up
Project: Inchcleraun: Explore an island of ancient natural and water heritage
About: Run by Lough Ree Access for All and local islander Herbert Farrell, this tour showcased the island’s unique significance as the site of St Diarmuid’s Monastery, with folklore links to Queen Maebh’s last dwelling place as well as historic links to the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Farrell’s work promoting biodiversity, sustainable farming and water quality were discussed, while local archaeologist Elaine Conroy spoke on the importance of the monastic site and the development of early Christianity in pagan Ireland.
Project: A Boatman’s Journey
Waterways Ireland, the Heritage Boat Association and Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, Offaly Branch, joined forces to present A Boatman’s Journey: Navigating the heritage of the Grand Canal through the eyes of a boatman, an event which included the unveiling of a story map – or graphic organiser – that combined Waterways Ireland’s archived resources with new multimedia content.
Wild Child Award
Winner
Project: Take a Walk on the Wild Side event
About: Friends of Ahare River Biodiversity Group in Wexford hosted this event, which allowed nature-loving families to discover the secrets of the river and explore the adjacent Kilanerin Woods. The group also organised a family day out at Clone Beach, Castletown.
Runners-up
Project: From Wilderness to Wonderment
About: St Mullins Heritage and Tourism Group chose the historic Green of their Co Carlow village as the starting point for a day out in which children and their parents learned about the development and remains of the buildings on the historic monastic site.
Project: Treasure Hunt at St Canice’s Cathedral
Kilkenny’s cathedral played host to a free, fun treasure hunt around its grounds for Wild Child Day as part of Heritage Week, with prizes for participating children.
Intangible Cultural Heritage Award
Winner
Project: Maharees Currach Making Workshop
About: Maharees Conservation Association in Kerry organised a fascinating currach-making demonstration, showcasing how these wooden-framed boats, synonymous with the west of Ireland, have been made down through the ages. The demonstration was hosted by local family the O’Learys, who have been making currachs in Maharees for five generations. As well as displaying the practical skills involved in boat making, the event showcased how such vessels connected and sustained the communities living in Maharees and the wider Tralee Bay area.
Runners-up
Project: Lemanaghan Stories – Tales of Tradition, Routes and Connections
About: Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group in Co Offaly organised a captivating evening in its historic school house featuring screenings of interviews with locals about the rich heritage and ongoing conservation effort in Lemanaghan. It was followed by conversations with metal smith Kevin O’Dwyer and archaeologist Griffin Murray, authors of St Manchan’s Shrine – Art and Devotion in 12th Century Ireland, as well as performances of local poetry and song.
Project: Traveller Living History Exhibition
About: Fair Green in Navan, Co Meath, was the location for this exhibition, organised by Meath Travellers Workshop. The event included a traditional barrel-top wagon, campfire scene, shelter tent, tinware display and demonstrations, as well as storytelling, and recreated a time when the majority of Travellers lived in camps on the side of the road.
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