Heritage park

The Irish National Heritage Park are delighted to announce the birth of a fine litter of Iron Age pigs (wild boar mother/Tamworth Boar father)! Can’t get in to see them at the moment (mother is very protective and you don’t mess with a wild boar) but seem to be more than 11 there – very big litter. The Park will be taking two of these and we expect to have them on site by the end of May. On the crop front, we’ll be planting very soon we’re sowing ancient species wheats (emmer, einkorn and spelt) and ancient Bere barley, all in the little field by the Neolithic House. This is genuine experimental work and we hope to build up a seed store for future years. The site is wetter than we would like, but these are very hardy species so it will be interesting to see how they cope in a woodland clearing, which mimics conditions in the New Stone Age. We also have some Celtic beans, which we plan to plant in the Monastery, again with the intention of building up an independent seed store. All grains have been very kindly provided by Butser Ancient Farm in the UK.

For further information on The Irish National Heritage Park visit The Park page or visitor info Section or join us on facebook for daily updates

150 budding archaeologists, from the School of Archaeology at University College Dublin visited The Irish National Heritage Park over the weekend. The students were down on a day long field-trip to study the numerous reconstructed sites and monuments which can be found scattered throughout the Park which covers 9000 years of Irelands Past.

‘We have been developing a special relationship with UCD over the past few years’, says Maura Bell, Manager of the Park.  ‘The first year students come here every year and we are delighted to see them.  We learn a huge amount from the visit too: their lecturers include some of the most important names in Irish archaeology and it is great to have them come to Ferrycarrig and hear what they have to say’.

This field trip is fast becoming a regular event on the University’s calendar and one of the most enjoyable for all involved.  The outstanding value of the Park is that since its inception it has drawn upon the best archaeological advice to build its reconstructions and as a result it is not just a visitor attraction, it is a place where academics come to study the past as well.

A new experimental archaeology centre has just been established in UCD and it hopes use the Heritage Park as an ‘outdoor laboratory’ for all kinds of research. ‘This is a very exciting development and it fits in perfectly with our own ethos as a non-profitmaking institution, dedicated to making the past come alive for our visitors,’ said Ms Bell.

Cream of Musical and Literary Talent on Show

High Profile acts such as Jerry Fish, Mick Flannery, John Spillane and Declan O’Rourke are set to play in Wexford this summer, as part of ‘The Heritage Festival’

The day-long event on Saturday, June 30, will feature musicians and writers appearing appearing in various venues at the National Heritage Park throughout the day. Full details of the festival will be announced next week.

One of the organisers Barry Ennis said that the event will feature international and local artists. ‘A range of different musicians and writers are coming together to do various shows,’ he said. Among the writers already confirmed to do readings of their works are Billy Roche and John Banville, with more to be annoucnced.

The festival will offer various venues including a crannog for an audience of 30 people; a larger  stage at the boathouse; and a main stage which can accommodate a large crowd.

Barry explained that all of the artists will play three or four concerts throughout the day in the various venues, and will then come together  at the end of the day on the main stage, to form a sort of ‘super group’ with the house band.

‘There isn’t any-thing like the Heritage Park else where,’ he said, ‘These artists will be performing in venues from a 30 people capacity crannog, to main stage with up to 1,500 capacity. It has the potential to be an incredible day. It’s the most stunning setting, and when you get an artist playing in a crannog with just 30 people and no PA system, it will be something else.’

By Fintan Lambe Wexford People, Wednesday February 29, 2012

Historic Thatch consultants

Heritage Council Conservation Panel

The Heritage Council regularly requires the service of conservation professionals in a wide range of disciplines. Council maintains several panels of conservation specialists and is now seeking to renew and expand the Historic Thatch panel. The purpose of this panel is to allow the Council to award small-scale, short duration contracts for the inspection or reporting on heritage assets. Council is seeking heritage expertise in the area of Historic Thatch.

A panel of Historic Thatch consultants was assembled by the Heritage Council in 2009.  Accordingly, current Historic Thatch panellists are asked to re-apply and the panel is also open to new applications.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 5.00pm on Wednesday 29th February 2012.

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