Clare to host 75 events during National Heritage Week - 23rd to 31st August 2014

Co-ordinated by Clare County Council and The Heritage Council with support from the Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht and Fáilte Ireland, the annual initiative will once again focus on Clare’s built, natural & cultural heritage. Some of the highlights of Heritage Week 2014 include a commemoration of the life of submarine inventor and Liscannor native John P Holland, a tour of towerhouses around Shannon Town, a lecture on the life of Kilrush-born Boer War General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny, a Victorian Heritage Walk around Kilkee, a tour of Lisdoonvarna's famous restorative waters, and a recital of traditional Irish tunes on the uilleann pipes by Matt Horsely at Ennis Friary. The centenary of the outbreak of World War I is also being marked with a lecture by historian Cormac O’Comhrai on life in Ireland during the Great War, while Killaloe will also be marking the millennial anniversary of the death of one of its most famous citizens, Brian Ború. Meanwhile, annual festivals such as the Tulla Week of Welcomes and the Dan Furey Weekend in Labasheeda are holding heritage events as part of the weeklong celebration. Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union. Download the free "National Heritage Week" App for iPhone or Android smartphones at www.heritageweek.ie. For further information contact Congella McGuire, Heritage Officer, Clare County Council, New Road, Ennis, County Clare, Tel: 065-6846408 Email: cmcguire@clarecoco.ie.