24/01/2023 - Last Chance to Have Your Say on Heritage

‌The public consultation period for the new County Donegal Heritage Plan comes to an end on Tuesday, January 31.  Donegal County Council and the County Donegal Heritage Forum would like to hear what heritage priorities or actions you would like to see included in the new five-year plan.  There are a number of ways in which you can make your suggestions by filling in the on-line survey form at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/HeritagePubli, by e-mail to [email protected] or by writing to the County Donegal Heritage Office.

“Our new County Heritage Plan is starting to take shape and suggestions from the public received to date are helping to set our heritage priorities for the next few years” explained Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer.  “The new Heritage Plan will direct heritage priorities, resources and funding for built, archaeological, natural and cultural heritage in the county over the lifetime of the plan so it’s really important that we hear from all those people and groups who are interested in heritage.  The focus of submissions to the County Donegal Heritage Plan should be on priorities or actions that can be taken over the next five years to identify, conserve, manage, promote and interpret County Donegal’s heritage.”

The new County Donegal Heritage Plan will include actions relating to our natural heritage (such as wildlife, habitats, flora, fauna and geology), our built heritage (such as historic buildings, landscapes, parks and gardens shaped by human design), our archaeology (such as monuments, ancient objects and shipwrecks) and our cultural inheritance (such as skills, folklore, traditions and archives).  The new National Heritage Plan – Heritage Ireland 2030 – was published in February 2022 and contains a commitment to “Continue the preparation and implementation of County Heritage Plans and resource their implementation with a view to maximising their effectiveness and assistance in the delivery of Heritage Ireland 2030” (Action 148).  The Heritage Council and Donegal County Council will provide annual funding for the implementation of County Heritage Plan actions.  Donegal County Council, The Heritage Council, the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, Heritage Forum partners and other funding agencies invested over €930,000 since 2014 in the implementation of over 50 Heritage Plan actions. 

The County Donegal Heritage Forum is a committee of Donegal County Council that provides advice on the preparation and implementation of the County Heritage Plan and is made up of representatives from local government, local development, state agencies, educational institutions, landowner/farming representatives, community/voluntary groups and heritage organisations and groups.  A draft of the new County Donegal Heritage Plan will be ready in the spring and brought to the Elected Members of Donegal County Council for adoption by this summer.  The new County Donegal Heritage Plan will be published and launched in September.

Further details on the preparation of the new County Donegal Heritage Plan are available from the County Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Council, Station Island, Lifford on (074) 917 2576 or on the County Donegal Heritage Office website at www.donegalcoco.ie/heritage