Have your say in our future heritage policy
Each year, for many years, the Central Bank of Ireland has been producing a range of silver and gold coins commemorating many key events and figures relating to Ireland’s history and heritage, past examples include Michael Collins, James Joyce and even more recent household names such as Rory Gallagher.
The Commemorative Coin Programme for 2020 is now being developed and suggestions for themes are now invited from the general public by the Central Bank of Ireland. 1920 was a year of remarkable note in Cork with regards to aspects relating to the War of Independence and it would be most fitting if a number of suggestions were to be made from the County of Cork such that the Coin Programme could reflect the Centenary of 1920 and the key role that Cork played.
For more information or indeed to make a submission send an email to coindesign@centralbank.ie – submissions must be received by 5pm on Friday 21st December 2018.
Heritage in Ireland is going from strength to strength and proposals for Ireland’s new National Heritage Plan have just been announced. The public consultation phase for this Heritage Plan (titled Heritage Ireland 2030) has just been launched by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan TD, who noted “I am delighted to announce the launch of the public consultation on Heritage Ireland 2030 - an ambitious new national heritage plan for Ireland.
“The natural and built heritage around us enriches our lives, inspires our achievements and gives life to our communities. It underpins our culture, our economy and our society. Our vision for heritage is a simple one - that heritage is valued and protected. Heritage Ireland 2030 will be built around that vision: that the way in which we identify and protect our heritage is the best it can be.”
Heritage Ireland 2030 – which will be based around three themes of national leadership; supporting stronger heritage partnerships; and building community and local involvement in heritage – will guide the Government’s heritage priorities and investment over the next decade and beyond, including the €285m commitment to heritage in the Department’s 10 year investment plan Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027, which was launched in April 2018.
At the launch event in the Irish Architectural Archive in Merrion Square, Minister Madigan urged all to have their say in shaping heritage priorities for the decade to come: “Our heritage is a shared responsibility and a shared treasure. We need to work together at national, local and community level to care for it and to unlock its future potential. So I invite you to play your part in shaping the future of our heritage and have your say during this consultation period”.
For more information visit www.chg. gov.ie.
Biodiversity is part of our national heritage
Biodiversity is a huge part of our national heritage and 2019 will see a large two-day conference take place in respect of same titled ‘ New Horizons for Nature’. The conference is being organised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (www. npws.ie) and the Irish Forum on Natural Capital (www.naturalcapitalireland.com) and will be held at Dublin Castle on 20 and 21 February 2019.
Speaking of the upcoming conference Minister Madigan noted: “This important two-day event will see artists, businesses, economists, musicians and farmers join conservationists and scientists to seek answers to the question of how best we can work together to conserve biodiversity. G
“lobally, we are losing biodiversity at a rate unprecedented in human history. In Ireland, over 90% of our protected habitats are in poor condition, and 14% of species assessed are deemed to be endangered. The number of plants, insects, mammals and birds that are threatened or endangered is growing year on year.”
Echoing President Macron, Minister Madigan added, “There is no Planet B. The biodiversity of this planet is the greatest resource we have and it is up to this generation to move beyond rhetoric and on to action. That action is not for the prescient few. It is an obligation on us all, and we will use this conference to broaden that dialogue.”
The conference organisers want to energise implementation of Ireland’s 3rd National Biodiversity Action Plan, ‘Actions for Biodiversity 2017-2021’, which was launched in October 2017.
Through talks, debates, workshops and creative elements, this event aims to raise awareness of the Plan and explore some of its key aspects, including: How to better engage with communities across Ireland to conserve biodiversity; Planning for biodiversity in a changing world, and, Investing in nature. Information about the conference is available at www.biodiversityconference.ie.
There is certainly plenty happening from a heritage perspective in County Cork over the coming weeks and not least the upcoming publication by Cork County Council regarding Cork’s place in Europe – titled ‘Europe and the County of Cork: A Heritage Perspective’.
There will be more on this and many further events next week.