Heritage Week in Roscrea
National Heritage Week will take place from August 17th to 25th.
This nine-day celebration provides a platform for individuals and groups to showcase the natural, built and cultural heritage in and around their locality. To coincide with National Heritage Week, Roscrea Heritage Society have organised the following events:
Monday, August 19th – Tour of Mount St Joseph Abbey; Meeting Point: Rosemary Square, Roscrea, 2pm – 5pm. Father Laurence Walsh, OSCO, will give an informative guided tour of the Abbey, Sacristy, Chapter Room, Cloisters and Library. Bus leaves Rosemary Square at 2pm sharp and will return at 5pm approx. Light refreshments will be served. Places are limited and must be booked through Roscrea Heritage Society only.
Tuesday, August 20th – Rambling House; Venue: Roscrea Courthouse, 7.30pm – 10pm. Join Séamus Moloughney, Paddy Curran and friends for an evening of stories, songs and rhymes from the Rare Ould Times. Bring a friend and a song for what promises to be a very enjoyable evening. Light refreshments will be served on the night. All musicians, singers and storytellers most welcome. Limited seating; arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Thursday, August 22nd – Tour of Fancroft Mill and Gardens, 10.15am – 2pm; Meeting point: Castle Street, Roscrea. You are invited to explore Marcus and Irene Sweeney's hidden gem, located just 4 km outside Roscrea. Your visit will include a presentation of the site, guided tour of the mill complex and guided exploration of the extensive gardens. Light refreshments will be served on the day. Bus will depart at 10.15am sharp and return to Roscrea at 2pm approx. Places are limited and must be booked through Roscrea Heritage Society only.
Saturday, August 24th: The Lost Words workshop, 2-3pm and 4-5pm; Venue – John’s Tower (Roscrea Castle). Join Jacqui Maher for a nature-themed workshop, aiming to bring lost words such as acorn and wren back to life through arts & crafts.
‘The Lost Words’ book began as a response to the removal of everyday nature words from a widely used children’s dictionary. Among them, 'acorn', 'bluebell', 'kingfisher' and 'wren' were removed because those words were not being used enough by children to merit inclusion. This will be a fun-filled workshop to reintroduce these lost words. Suitable for children aged 4 - 12 years. Each child will receive a goody bag. Places are limited and must be booked through Roscrea Heritage Society only.
Sunday, August 25th – Dancing at the Crossroads (Co-organised with Knock GAA); Venue – Knock village (Roscrea), 2-5pm. Dance your way onto one of five roads leading to Knock village and enjoy what was once the most popular social event in Ireland. Jigs, Reels, Siege of Ennis and a cupán tae will be served!
Feel free to dress in your best vintage wear to be in with a chance of winning a prize. See how good your aim is on the day with locals hoping you’ll miss hitting the target on the Dunk Tank!
Knock GAA (founded in 1928) will also hold an official opening of the 'Ball Wall' with the extremely talented Bonner Maher as guest of honour! As hurling and camogie have been added to UNESCO'S list of protected cultural activities around the world, it is very fitting to tie in both events and celebrate the best of our Irish culture. Knock GAA would like to invite all past and present players to this special event. Light refreshments on the day. Musicians, dancers, storytellers and singers all most welcome.
Eamonn O’Dwyer will be there on the day to record a program for Tipp FM’s 'Down Your Way'.
All our events are free of charge. For bookings or general enquiries, please contact Roscrea Heritage Society via the following:
Email – roscreaheritagesociety@gmail.com;
Facebook – Roscrea Heritage Society;
Mobile (Pamela Aitken) - 085 7114183.