Windfall in booster grants for local heritage groups
THE coastal locations of Cobh, Kinsale and the Old Head, Courtmacsherry and Monkstown have all seen a huge influx of people in May, not least in part due to events that were organised to mark the centenary of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7th 1915, where close to 1,200 souls passed over.
A wonderful array of the most fitting events took place including the Centenary Ceremony in Cobh on May 7th, visited by President Michael D. Higgins and indeed Centenary Events in Kinsale and the Old Head with Minister Simon Coveney presiding.
The weekend of May 9th/10th also saw the AGM of the Federation of Irish History Societies coinciding with Kinsale’s Lusitania conference and in Cobh on May 10th there was a most poignant re-enactment of the funeral process at the Old Church Cemetery Cobh where 168 Lusitania victims were laid to rest. Despite the Lusitania Centenary date having been over one week ago it is worth noting that there are still a number of Lusitania related events taking place during the month of May (see www.visitcorkcounty.ie/lusitania100cork), particularly in a number of museums and heritage centres.
Indeed, May 18th 2015 is International Museum Day, highlighting the wonderful efforts, which museums undertake in presenting the past to the public. International Museum Day has been in operation since 1977 and throughout the world now has over 30,000 musuems participating in over 120 different countries.
The Day is coordinated by the International Council of Museums who define a museum as “a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment”.
As such, on, before or after the 18th we should take the time to visit one of our local museums to show our support for these wonderful institutions. The Heritage Council is most supportive of the museums in Ireland, particuarly through its Museum Standards Programme which has 53 Irish museum members including four from Cork and counting. In addition to supporting these non-profit museums the Heritage Council also supports a range of other voluntary/community heritage projects, not least through the Community Heritage Grants Scheme.
The Heritage Council’s Community Grants Scheme which was advertised in February of this year saw over 600 applications across the length and breadth of the Country. With just over €500,000 available there was always going to be a high level of competition for the hundreds of heritage groups and organisations in the Country.
In this regard for the heritage of Cork it is quite reassuring to see that 13 applicants (2 from Cork City and 11 from the County) were successful, receiving a combined €30,500 for a wonderful range of projects. In Timoleague €1,500 was awarded to Molaga Tidy Towns for a tourist brochure on Timoleague Abbey and in Kilmurry, €3,000 was awarded for the conservation of selected artefacts at Kilmurry Museum including the Kathleen O’Callaghan Celtic Revival costume (of which only about five of these costumes survive).
The Glanmire Heritage Society received €1,500 for a heritage recording project at Rathcooney Graveyard and IRD Duhallow received €1,000 for a wonderful programme of events to mark Heritage Week 2015, which takes place between August 22nd and 30th 2015. Other projects included a Trail at St. Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal (€2,000); a place name study of Bere Island (€1,000), the renewal of original windows at Bantry House (€4,000) and €4,000 towards the undertaking of immediate works and surveys of a very rare 17th century timber framed house in Bandon.
In addition to these wonderful projects the Heritage Council is also supporting Cork County Council’s upcoming publication “Heritage Churches of County Cork” which has received an overwhelming number of public submissions to date, as well as a continuation of the rollout of heritage tourism signage at a range of such sites owned/maintained by Cork County Council. More information on these projects will be mentioned in the coming weeks and months but now we take a look at some of the heritage events worth a visit this week.
In addition to wonderful exhibitions in museums (including Lusitania related exhibitions/displays) there is currently a fascinating exhibition taking place in Kilnamartyra’s Toy Soldier Factory. Launched on Sunday May 10th 2015, on display is the world’s largest handmade battle scene diorama of the Battle of Waterloo. Many are indeed familiar with the history and importance of this battle which was a defining moment in European history, observing its 200th aniversary on June 18th 2015.
The model on display is a massive 8x4 metres in dimension and features 15,000 hand cast and hand painted Prince August Model Soldiers, a model which was eight years in creation. On the weekend of May 15th and 16th, and although just over the border in County Limerick, is another heritage event most worthy of a mention particularly because the event takes a Munster-wide persepctive on the War of Independence.
The event is a wonderful two-day seminar, taking place in Knocklong (less than 15 miles from both Charleville and Mitchelstown). It will feature a number of notable speakers including UCC’s Dr. John Borgonovo, author of “The Dynamics of War & Revolution: Cork City 1916-1918”, who will discuss the Cork Branch of Ex-Soldiers and Sailors from 1918 to 1922. This seminar promises to be most interesting and for further information see the events section of www.corkcoco.ie/heritage.