Local community groups scoop National Heritage Award

The Colmcille 1500 and Wild About Navan groups were among the winners at the National Heritage Awards last week.

The efforts of individuals, families and community groups across Ireland in ensuring the preservation, protection and promotion of Ireland’s built, natural and cultural heritage were recognised at the awards which were hosted by the Heritage Council.

The Heritage Newcomer Award went to Colmcille 1500 for their Illuminations, which were part of a year long celebration of Colmcille on his 1500th anniversary.

Wild About Navan, a local nature conservation group won the County Meath Award.

The Awards were announced at a virtual ceremony presented by RTÉ broadcaster, Anne Cassin and attended by Minister of State Malcolm Noonan.

The Colmcille 1500 Kells Illuminations were specially commissioned to mark the 1500th anniversary of the birth of St Colmcille.

According to the award citation “The project was particularly successful at including non-heritage groups in its activities. During National Heritage Week 2021, the organisers offered self-guided and guided tour of Kells, exploring the illuminations.”

The Colmcille 1500 Illuminations were a contemporary artistic expression of the story of Colmcille and celebrated the iconography produced by monks, scribes, stone carvers and metalworkers in Kells. These skills were reflected in the vibrant colour of six images projected onto prominent buildings in Kells.

Local nature conservation group Wild About Navan undertook “Our Outdoor Living Heritage Museum”, a week-long online campaign celebrating Navan’s heritage.

They created a virtual walk and talk time machine centering on Navan’s Market Square, and a self-guided walking tour to discover Navan’s living heritage as well as an online collation of Navan heritage gems. The online campaign delved into the town's geological heritage and how it set the scene for our built heritage, pointing out that “Navan’s location, buildings, and traditions have for centuries provided habitat, food, and shelter for us and our living heritage.”