Derry City and Strabane District Council have announced a series of events to explore the sustainability of the history of the district to celebrate this year’s Heritage Week.
Taking place from now until Saturday, August 21, Heritage Week brings together communities, families, organisations, cultural institutions, academics and enthusiasts to build awareness about the value of heritage and support its conservation.
The City Walls, the Fair River Valley, Strabane and the iconic Guildhall will feature in next week’s celebration.
An illustrated map encouraging the public to take a self-guided walking tour to explore Strabane’s Town Heritage will be showcased on social media throughout the week.
The Strabane Heritage Trail is a self-guided walking tour of approximately 3.5 miles/5.5 kilometres that displays and celebrates the town’s rich heritage and history.
A series of virtual tours, videos and exhibitions which explore the heritage and history of the Council area will be showcased throughout the week.
Climate Change: The People’s Story is a thought-provoking exhibition in The Tower Museum from 15th July to 18th December 2022 which showcases how sustainability and the ongoing climate change crisis is affecting our local areas.
A number of other exhibitions will take place throughout the week that highlight the importance in family and local history including Shirts, Singers & Sewing: A Shirt Factory exhibition for the North West as well as Colmcille, Divided Ireland and Walls 400 which are all available in The Tower Museum.
A beautiful and captivating animation which weaves together the passage of time with the physical fabric of the city we know and interact with today will be shared on social media.
Other virtual events include the tours of The Guildhall.
These will uncover the building’s many hidden gems, including its grand staircase, Main Hall organ, collection of stunning stained glass windows and the Guildhall clock and tower.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, said she was delighted to welcome back in-person events for this year’s Heritage Week and highlighted the importance of this year’s theme.
“I’m delighted to welcome back Heritage Week and see the return of in-person events following the virtual tours in 2020.
“I think sometimes we can take for granted just how lucky we are to live in an area so rich in history and heritage, and through these events and exhibitions, we can learn so much more about that.
“This year’s theme of ‘Sustainability’ has never been more important as we tackle the current climate crisis.
“It gives everyone the opportunity to learn about the natural heritage we have on our doorstep and how we can help to preserve this.”
The programme of events takes place from Saturday 13th to Saturday 21st August.
For more information, visit: https://www.heritageweek.ie/
