Mary Conefrey is a local studies librarian at Leitrim Country Library. A heritage expert, she has been taking part in National Heritage Week for over a decade.
“My interest in heritage was sparked by my late father. He had a keen interest in culture and history and was an outstanding storyteller with a strong sense of place.”
Conefrey’s father took part in the 1937/1938 Schools Folklore Project, and among the essays he wrote, one, titled “My Home Place” is an amazing snapshot in time of his townland of Cornagher. “It was that essay that inspired me to explore my homeplace of Lisgillock Glebe for National Heritage Week 2021. It’s been a rewarding experience and a privilege to share our wonderful heritage through National Heritage Week.”
Coastal fringe
Rebecca Jeffares has worked with An Taisce since 1989 and has been involved in the protection of Booterstown Marsh, a local nature reserve in south county Dublin.
“Thousands pass the Booterstown Nature Reserve every day, without giving it a second glance. For years, I did so myself. Joining An Taisce changed all that. My first introduction was hardly glamorous and involved wading around its muddy shores collecting rubbish.
“This wetland, the only one in south Dublin, is a beautiful coastal landscape that provides a habitat to a great diversity of life. It does this while absorbing huge amounts of CO2 and protecting the coastal fringe from flooding.
“An Taisce has given me much more than I have given it. All of us there share a passion for heritage and care about our legacy to the generations ahead.”
Streams and walls
Mary Hargaden lives in Bray, County Wicklow, and has been involved with the Medieval Bray Project since 2015.
“Walking along the roads of my local town Bray as a child, I noticed small streams, wells ruins and old walls. I always wanted to know their story. I was hooked on heritage from that point.
“The Medieval Bray Project’s (TMBP) excavations at Raheen a Cluig church on my native Bray Head, helped us to understand aspects of Bray’s history.
“Street patterns, bridges and old houses all provide clues to the origins of a place. I like how built heritage shines a light on forgotten corners of local history: the ruin in the middle of an urban housing estate and the crooked road and wall. Many places have a history and mystery.”
Migrant identity
Nathan Mannion lives in Dublin and currently serves as the senior curator of the Epic Irish Migration Museum in the city’s Docklands.
“I first became involved in the heritage sector when I was 17. With the Leaving Cert behind me, I was at a crossroads. I took a gap year and moved to Kilkenny to study genealogy at the Rothe House Museum. I quickly fell in love with the place and helped the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, which owned the property, to found its first youth branch and attract new members. After working at the Heritage Council for a little while, I knew it was the sector that I’d be the happiest working in, so I applied for a degree in heritage studies and that, plus a little luck, set me on the road to where I am today.
“I’ve worked at the Epic Irish Emigration Museum since it opened in 2016. We encourage our patrons to reflect on what it means to be Irish and why over 70 million people globally feel their ‘Irishness’ plays a role in defining who they are and connects them to their heritage.”
Hidden treasures
Bernie Lonergan lives in Tipperary and works alongside a group of volunteers to highlight the historical and religious significance of Liathmore Churches.
“I am involved in our local ‘Siúl Eile’ walking group, which focuses on bringing people in the parish together to expose the community to local hidden treasures.
“Our walking group is always on the lookout for interesting places to visit in our parish and surrounding areas. We have had history walks and talks previously. Liathmore was mentioned as an interesting place in our community that we could explore.
“Heritage is something that can be easily lost if not appreciated, sites preserved and restored. Ireland has a huge amount to offer in terms of heritage and there is something for everyone if it becomes more accessible, affordable and protected.”
Family trees
Angela O’Donovan has been involved with the Bantry Historical and Archaeological Society in Cork for over 10 years.
“I was blessed with an elderly father and mother. So the household that I grew up in was of an older era at the time.
“My father was particularly gifted with a knowledge and interest in genealogy. I remember former neighbours who’d emigrated and would return on holiday, visiting my father to learn about their ancestors.
“Recently, I’ve taken an interest in genealogy. It seemed natural to investigate further as more records became available online. I feel it’s important for those of us who experienced such different childhoods to document our memories and celebrate our experiences, and the experiences of our ancestors.”
Language and folklore
John Kennedy lives in Kerry and has had a lifelong interest in heritage. This year marked his first involvement with National Heritage Week.
“Living in Dún Chaoin, I am conscious of the richness of the natural world from the rugged geology to the sublime seascapes. There is evidence of habitation here from the Bronze Age onwards.
“Dún Chaoin is a remarkable place between language, history, folklore, the connection to the Blasket Island culture and the small, close community. I found all of those things very attractive when I moved here in 1974.
“My father was involved in amateur archaeology in Co Sligo (he was for a time chairman of the Sligo Field Club which is the local history and archaeology group in the county) and I picked up ideas from him.
“My wife’s grandfather, Seán Ó Dálaigh, was the school teacher in Dún Chaoin and he published two books of folklore and customs from the area. He was Peig Sayers’ teacher. I have an interest in history as an account of the lives of ordinary people and that spilled over into a desire to know more about the who, when, why and where of Dún Chaoin.
“Preserving this landscape, making it accessible to others and treating it with respect have been my main objectives over the last decade. Recently, we’ve embarked on a biodiversity survey of the parish, which will involve everyone planning for sustainable living in the face of climate change.”
Secret Masses
Mary Brosnan is from Galway and works with the Glenamaddy Boyounagh Heritage Project (GBHP). She has a particular interest in the genealogy of her parish.
“My interest in heritage started by listening to my grandmother telling stories, especially that of the Mass Tree at Log an Aifreann, which marks a penal days Mass site where locals gathered to secretly practise their faith. In 2013, a group of us joined together to collect information about the parish, hoping to publish a book and create a database. Glenamaddy Boyounagh: Our People, Our Heritage was published in 2018 and all our of parish’s 50 townlands are represented. We’re currently working on a genealogy database of the local people. It’s hoped that in the future members of our diaspora will return to research their ancestors.”
Living memory
Stephen Ball lives in Meath and is involved with St Ultan’s Historical Society.
“Each summer when I was a child, the Dublin relations would visit my grandad’s house, including my grandfather’s three surviving sisters, who’d moved to the city years before.
“Listening to the stories, I was fascinated by their memories of living through 1916, the Civil War and the second World War. I was amazed, and as time passed, I found myself immersed in local history and heritage. As we walk a country lane, we should think about what generations have walked before us. Preserving both our local and national heritage should be a dedicated agenda for our government.”
Literary footprint
Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi is a writer, performer and arts facilitator from Wicklow. She writes a column for Rogue magazine and works at the Museum of Literature Ireland.
“I spent much of my adolescence in Bray and moved to Greystones during lockdown, where the beauty of my local surroundings became crucial to maintaining my mental wellbeing and artistic practice. As a young literature enthusiast settling in Ireland with my family, I was enthralled by Irish literary heritage.
“For such a small island, Ireland has produced a disproportionate amount of world-class writers, boasting no less than four Nobel Laureates in Literature. Learning about Irish literature, both past and present, not only informed me about Irish culture, our values and preoccupations, it also helped me understand and embrace my new hyphenated identity as a Nigerian-Irish person.”