National Heritage Week events confirmed

An extensive line-up of events has been confirmed at the launch of the National Heritage Week event guide.
A total of 1,100 events have been organised nationally by the Heritage Council as part of the week, which runs between August 21 and August 29.
Events in Clare include a walk through Corrovorrin graveyard with commentary on some notable graves and vaults by members of the Clare Roots Society on August 22. Clare County Library will host a genealogy day on August 24, while a series of lunchtime heritage talks will run from August 23-27 at the Clare County Museum.
On August 26 the Clare Bat Group have organised a bat walk along the river Fergus in Ennis, while the Clare Association of An Taisce will offer an introduction to Irish bats for children at the Clare Inn and a bat walk at Dromoland Castle on August 25.
The Irish Landmark Trust will offer a self-guided tour of Loop Head Lightkeepers’ House in West Clare.
Billy Teare and Kathleen O’Sullivan will be sharing stories with the public in the Sweeney Memorial Library in Kilkee and at the DeValera Library, Ennis on August 26.
The Vandeleur Walled Garden in Kilrush will be hosting composting and waste minimisation workshops from August 21 to August 29, where exhibitions will be on display and children can enjoy a butterfly trail.
Shannon Aviation Week will also run for the duration of heritage week and involves a historical aviation display coinciding with the centenary of Irish Aviation.
Dúchas na Sionna will be offering a walking tour of Shannon on August 22, which will focus on the history of the area before the growth of the modern town. In South East Clare the O’Briensbridge Community Group will be hosting a heritage walk along the O’Briensbridge Loop Walks on August 28.
In North Clare archaeologists will unearth the secrets of the past from August 22 to 27 as another important excavation will be open to the public in Caherconnell, Carron. At this event the Mogh Roith re-enactment group will be on site on August 28 and 29.
The internationally acclaimed sculptor Shane Gilmore will be at the Cliffs of Moher carving a life-size wooden piece for the entire week.
Furthermore, on August 22, Bryony Williams and Ruth Enright will be offering a guided walk of the Slieve Carran Nature Reserve, exploring how and why they are tracking feral goats in the Burren.
Meanwhile, botanist Stephen Ward will take a group on a guided walk of Blackhead at Murroughtoohy Layby on August 29.
East Clare Heritage in Tuamgraney will host an information day on Brian Boru on August 21, where local experts will be on hand to discuss and provide information on the first High King of Ireland.
Also in East Clare, former county archaeologist Simon Large will give a presentation on the evolving nature of heritage, focusing on the archaeology of East Clare, on August 26 at Scariff Library.
For more information and for updates on events throughout the week, log on to www.heritageweek.ie or follow the events on Twitter or Facebook by linking up with heritage week.