IHTA Heritage Activities Round-up
From Heritage Week to Dublin Festival of History, the IHTA have been part of various events from August to October 2024
Heritage Week 2024
On Wednesday 21 August, Howard Clarke delivered a lecture ‘From Finnbarr to Beauford: the making of Cork city’ in Cork City Library to a full house with lots of interested questions on the development of the city over the centuries.
In Ballyshannon there were a number of events that took place on Friday 23 August with Angela Byrne and organised by Ballyshannon Regeneration Group. Although the ‘Historical Paddle’ along the River Erne was postponed to another time, the nautical activities moved to Mulligan’s Warehouse on the Mall where several hundred people took part and viewed traditional skills, children’s games, learned about the development of the boat yard and the upcoming Irish Historic Towns Atlas of Ballyshannon by Angela Byrne.
A walking tour of The Mall explored ‘Ballyshannon’s Global Heritage’ later that evening. Approximately one hundred people joined for the tour that took in the Mall Quay, Boat Yard, Assaroe Falls and the Condon House. The events concluded in McIntyre’s Pub with sean-nós singing from Oonagh Mc Ardle and the launch of the exhibition.
We are very grateful to Angela and the Ballyshannon Regeneration Group who put such careful thought and organisation into the events for Heritage Week. We look forward to more events over the coming year as the Ballyshannon atlas nears completion with assistance from Donegal County Council.
Culture Night
The Royal Irish Academy opened the doors for another Culture Night on Friday 20 September 2024. It’s always a favourite event for staff of the RIA to show the public Academy House and all that it has to offer. The Cathach was on display along with the multiple publications from the RIA and research programmes. Sarah Gearty and Jennifer Moore were on hand to talk to the public about the IHTA and the RIA more generally. In all, one thousand people came through the doors of 19 Dawson Street on Culture Night and we look forward to welcoming more again next year.
Dublin Festival of History
At this year’s Dublin Festival of History, Jennifer Moore conducted two workshops ‘Behind the Maps: Dublin City and Suburbs in the IHTA’ in the Royal Irish Academy. The illustrated workshops detailed the cartographic and illustrative material in the Dublin atlases and demonstrated the workings of the topographical information and the comparative elements of the IHTA.
Dr Ruth McManus, IHTA editor and author of the forthcoming suburbs volume on Drumcondra, delivered a lecture in Drumcondra Library on Thursday 3 October on ‘Drumcondra’s story through maps’.
