First all-island network of local authority heritage professionals to be established
Heritage Council announces plans at inaugural all-island conference for heritage professionals in Monaghan
Plans to establish, for the first time, an all-island network for local authority heritage professionals are being announced today (02.09.26) as heritage professionals and senior local authority leaders gather in Monaghan for the Heritage Council’s inaugural all-island conference for heritage professionals, ‘Shared Island: Building Connections, Exchanging Knowledge’.
The new network will bring together Heritage Officers from Ireland’s 31 local authorities and staff with heritage-related roles from the 11 local authorities in Northern Ireland. It will sit at the heart of the new Shared Island Heritage Networks Programme, led by the Heritage Council and funded through the Shared Island initiative, and support greater collaboration, knowledge-sharing and peer support across the island.
The conference, taking place at Monaghan Peace Campus today as part of the Shared Island Heritage Networks Programme, will focus on the strategic role of local authorities in supporting and delivering heritage at local level, at a time when their responsibilities across built, natural and cultural heritage continue to grow.
The conference programme will include a panel discussion with three local authority Chief Executives – Robert Burns, Monaghan County Council; Alison McCullagh, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; and Lar Power, Kilkenny County Council – exploring how heritage is led, resourced and delivered by local authorities across the island, and the opportunities for greater collaboration and shared learning.
Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Robert Burns, said: “Local authorities have an important role to play in protecting, managing and celebrating the heritage of the places and communities we serve. Having dedicated heritage expertise within our organisations helps us to integrate heritage into wider priorities, from regeneration and placemaking to biodiversity, climate action and community development. Creating opportunities for local authority heritage professionals to share experience, learn from one another and build stronger connections across the island can only strengthen the work being delivered at local level.”
Author and former BBC journalist Fergal Keane will deliver the conference’s keynote address, situating the work of local authority heritage professionals and opportunities for greater connection and collaboration within the wider Shared Island context. Journalist and former RTÉ News presenter Bryan Dobson will act as MC.
The Shared Island Heritage Networks Programme is currently in development, and the Heritage Council will work collaboratively with local authority heritage professionals and other key stakeholders over the coming months to shape how the network will operate in practice. Other programme strands include funding for collaborative all-island heritage projects, the annual all-island conference and the development of a publicly accessible digital repository for local authority heritage material.
Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, said: “Local authorities are playing an increasingly important role in delivering heritage policy and projects on the ground across built, natural and cultural heritage. As the range of heritage responsibilities, disciplines and professional roles within local government continues to expand, there is growing value in creating stronger opportunities for professional exchange, collaboration and relationship-building across the island.
“The Heritage Council has a longstanding partnership with local authorities through Ceangal, our Local Authority Heritage Programme, and we see every day the value that dedicated heritage expertise brings to local places and communities.
“The Shared Island Heritage Networks Programme builds on that work by creating new opportunities for local authority heritage professionals in Ireland and Northern Ireland to connect, share knowledge and learn from one another. At its heart will be a new all-island network to support ongoing professional exchange and collaboration. We are delighted to be leading the development and delivery of the programme, and today’s inaugural conference is an important opportunity to bring people together, strengthen existing relationships and create new connections across the island.”
ENDS
Contact: Sebastian Enke, Enkom PR, Tel: 087-3239496 / Email: media@enkom.ie