Heritage Council (Ireland)

{{Infobox organization

| image =

| formation = {{start date and age|1995|4|10|df=y}}

| type = Quango

| purpose = Cultural and Historic preservation

| headquarters = Church Lane, Kilkenny, R95 X264

| leader_title = CEO

| leader_name = Virginia Teehan

| name = The Heritage Council

| bgcolor =

| fgcolor =

| location =

| revenue = €13.54m

| revenue_year = 2022

| website = {{URL|https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/}}

}}

File:Clonmel Town Walls.jpg

The Heritage Council ({{langx|ga|An Comhairle Oidhreachta}}) is an organisation created by the Irish government to "engage, educate and advocate to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmental and economic well-being."{{cite web | url=http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/about-us/about-us/ | title=About us | publisher=The Heritage Council | work=Web site | date=February 2012 | accessdate=October 19, 2012}}{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2022 |url=https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/content/files/Annual-Report-2022.pdf |website=heritagecouncil.ie |access-date=31 October 2023}}

The Heritage Council was established under the Heritage Act 1995.

Its current CEO is Virginia Teehan."[https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/news/news-features/announcing-the-appointment-of-the-heritage-councils-new-chief-executive Announcing the Appointment of the Heritage Council's New Chief Executive]". Irish Heritage Council, 22 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020

The Council's purview includes monuments, archaeological objects, heritage objects such as art and industrial works, documents and genealogical records, architectural heritage, flora, fauna, wildlife habitats, landscapes, seascapes, wrecks, geology, heritage gardens, parks and inland waterways.{{cite web | url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0809/1224321790005.html | title=Political courage required to save Heritage Council | publisher=The Irish Times | date=9 August 2012 | accessdate=October 19, 2012 | author=Woodworth, Paddy}}

The Heritage Council organizes the annual Heritage Week in Ireland.[http://www.heritageweek.ie/ Heritage Week], Ireland. It also has a grants scheme.[http://www.meath.ie/LocalAuthorities/Heritage/HeritageFunding/HeritageCouncilGrantsScheme/ Heritage Council Grants Scheme] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127135433/http://meath.ie/LocalAuthorities/Heritage/HeritageFunding/HeritageCouncilGrantsScheme/ |date=2010-11-27 }}, [http://www.meath.ie/ Meath County Council], Ireland.

Initiatives

=Irish Walled Towns Network=

In 2005, the Heritage Council formed the Irish Walled Towns Network (IWTN).Michael Starrett, [https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/blueprint-for-revitalising-irish-towns-1.2403658 "Blueprint for revitalising Irish towns"], Irish Times, October 2015 The role of the IWTN is to help the walled towns of Ireland become better places in which to live, work and visit. The network does this through providing grants for medieval town wall repairs, secondly, by providing grants for community festivals and heritage interpretation, thirdly, training community groups on how best to use their place's heritage and finally, by coordinating research and publishing advisory documents. In 2013, the IWTN's education programme won the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Award.{{Cite web|title=Irish Walled Towns Network Educational Programme|url=http://www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/irish-walled-towns-network-educational-programme/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards|language=en-GB}}

=Museum Standards Programme for Ireland=

The Heritage Council established the Museums Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI) in 2007, to benchmark and promote professional standards in the care of collections and to recognise through accreditation the achievement of those standards within the Irish museum sector.{{cite web | url= https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/projects/museum-standards-programme-for-ireland | title=Museums Standards Programme for Ireland | publisher=The Heritage Council | work=Web site | date=February 2021 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}} As of 2020, 43 museums have been fully accredited through the MSPI programme."[https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/news/news-features/accreditation-awarded-to-11-irish-museums-seen-as-boost-to-post-covid-19-recovery Accreditation awarded to 11 Irish Museums seen as boost to Post-Covid recovery]". Irish Heritage Council, 03 February 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021