DELIGHT AS SHILLELAGH STICK AND HERITAGE TRAIL UNVEILED
AN exciting new landmark was unveiled in the South Wicklow village of Shillelagh on Saturday.
The oak-carved Shillelagh Stick, created by artist Joey Burns, was unveiled in the village green in tribute to the community’s rich history of producing these unique heritage items.
Funding for the Shillelagh Stick came through the Towns and Village Renewal Scheme and the project was developed by the Shillelagh People’s Property Company, a local trust that arose out of assets bequeathed to it by Lady Juliet Fitzwilliam.
The event was coordinated by Shillelagh People’s Property in conjunction with Wicklow County Council.
Minsters Simon Harris and Andrew Doyle were among those in attendance, along with local councillors; Frank Curran, the Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council; Deirdre Burns, Heritage Officer; Wicklow County Council officials; Tom Byrne from Wicklow Uplands Council; and CEO of County Wicklow Partnership, Brian Carty.
The Shillelagh Stick was formally unveiled by Minister Harris along with an adjacent interpretive sign.
Following this unveiling, the crowd relocated to Shillelagh Courthouse where they were entertained by local musicians ahead of the official launch of the Shillelagh Heritage Trail.
The trail explores the former estate village of Shillelagh and its links to the Fitzwilliam family from South Yorkshire, whose Irish home was the nearby Coollattin House.
The trail is five miles long and takes in Coollattin Park, Ardeen House, the old railway station and terminus, Tomnafinnoge Woods, Shillelagh Courthouse and many other local heritage gems. It also connects to the Wicklow Way, offering walkers the chance to drop into Shillelagh Village for a visit.
The heritage trail was officially unveiled by Deirdre Burns who described it as ‘an opportunity to discover the exciting heritage of South Wicklow and the unique estate village of Shillelagh’.
Addressing the large crowd, Frank Curran from Wicklow County Council pointed out that the heritage trail and sculpture sit in nicely with the recently published objectives of the County Wicklow Tourism Development Strategy in terms of visitors now seeking interesting themed tourism experiences.
Mr Curran also spoke about the council’s plans to develop the Arklow-Shillellagh recreational trail/ greenway and how the Shillelagh Heritage Trail fits nicely into that ambition.
The council provided funding to the Shillelagh People’s Property Company under the Creative Ireland initiative to help develop the 36-page booklet that accompanies the trail.
The large attendance in the courthouse were then treated to a 30 minute visual display of the majestic trail by Joe Dolan who completed most of the research on the trail along with local historian Jerry Cassidy.
Peter Houlihan, chairman of the Shillelagh Peoples Property Company, closed the event saying: ‘Here in Shillelagh we’re creating something really significant for south Wicklow as our Shillelagh Heritage Trail now links to the Wicklow Way. And we believe that this will complement beautifully the proposed Arklow-Shillellagh Recreational Trail. As our motto goes, “the Mighty Shillelagh Oak was once an acorn that simply held its ground.”’