Kilbride heritage trail and map wins national award

A COMMUNITY group from Kilbride in Co Meath has received a national award for a project which created a heritage trail in their local area.

Kilbride Heritage Group, which is part of Kilbride Tidy Towns, created a heritage trail and map, erected in the village centre, showcasing 15 historical landmarks across the village.

The group was one of three to receive the Special Recognition Award from Heritage Keepers at a special celebration held in Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in Tulsk, Co Roscommon, last weekend.

Heritage Keepers is a free programme for community groups and primary schools that helps participants to delve into their built, cultural and natural heritage, providing funding to allow them take positive local action.

The Tulsk event marked the end of the fourth year of the programme and was attended by community groups from all over the country who participated in Heritage Keepers projects.

The Kilbride project — which was supported by Discover Boyne Valley/Ireland’s Ancient East — collected its Special Recognition Award , which was made from a local fallen oak tree, alongside fellow honourees from community heritage projects in Wexford and Gortroe, Co Cork.

As part of creating the Kilbride Priestown Heritage Trail and Map, which was also translated into Irish, the Kilbride group researched and documented the history of the sites, and gathered stories and photos from local families in a bid to preserve the village’s heritage for future generations.

It also registered the website www.kilbridepriestownheritage.ie to share details of the landmarks, historical photos, articles and updates on village events.

Anne-Marie Macken from Kilbride Heritage Group thanked Heritage Keepers for the special recognition and said they had the privilege to meet other Heritage Keepers at the reception, and we were extremely impressed by everyone’s projects.

She added: "Our group enjoyed researching and documenting the village's history as well as gathering stories and photos from local families.

“Our highlights of this project were chats and laughs over the cups of tea as we researched Kilbride's history, heard stories about growing up in the village and recalled memories of times past. We had lovely times spent together as a group that you can't capture in a map or photo. We are very grateful to everyone who contributed to this project which showcases our community spirit.

“The support from Heritage Keepers was wonderful. We would encourage everyone to part take in the Heritage Keepers project as it’s a wonderful initiative for all of Ireland."

This year’s Heritage Keepers programme will have an increased number of places for both community groups and schools. Last year, 75 groups took part in the programme, with more than 200 groups having participated since its started in 2022.

The closing date for applications is 30th September with the latest round of the programme starting in the autumn and running until the spring. Applications can be made online at www.heritagekeepers.ie