Know your locality Laois

Stephen Mandal of the Irish Heritage School led a group of Laois heritage enthusiasts on a walk of discovery at the Rock of Dunamase on Sunday, as part of the Know your Locality Laois course.

The free online course was offered to Laois people by Laois Heritage Office thanks to funding from Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme 2017 – 2022.

Stephen Mandal, Irish Heritage School and Catherine Casey, Laois Heritage Officer leading a field trip at the Rock of Dunamase looking at the geology, landscape, archaeology and history as part of Know Your Locality. Supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022) in partnership with Laois County Council.
Picture: Alf Harvey.

Delivered online due to Covid 19, the the Irish Heritage School course took participants step-by-step through available heritage sources, allowing them to paint a picture of the geological, archaeological, and historical events that happened close to where they live.

Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer with Laois County Council said “it was wonderful to meet up in person outdoors for a guided tour of the Rock of Dunamase, and it really added a special dimension to the course which had been delivered online up to this point. While the course looked at examples from throughout Ireland, it focused on the geology, archaeology and history of Laois. As such the course was aimed towards local people who are enthusiasts of natural and cultural heritage. We were delighted with how the course went and thrilled to announce that thanks to the generous support of Creative Ireland Laois, we will be able to offer the course again early next year.”

Stephen Mandal, Irish Heritage School leading a field trip at the Rock of Dunamase looking at the geology, landscape, archaeology and history as part of Know Your Locality. Supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022) in partnership with Laois County Council.
Picture: Alf Harvey.

Picture: Alf Harvey.

Stephen Mandal of Irish Heritage School, based in Birr, said “The Know your Locality course has been very popular online and we’ve been delighted to meet all the Laois people who had such a strong interest in their local heritage. Our course began by looking at the very bedrock under your feet, examining the geological processes and glacial events that shaped the landscape and formed the soils. The course then focused on the impacts of humans on that landscape over time, from pre-history to the last century. We look forward to delivering the course for Laois again in the New year”.

Know Your Locality Course (now complete)

It is amazing what you can discover about your local area from the snug safety of your home.

Laois Heritage Office with the support of Creative Ireland is delighted to offer a FREE online course delivered by Irish Heritage School that will take you step-by-step through the available online sources that will allow you to paint a picture of the geological, archaeological, and historical events that happened close to where you live. While the course will look at examples from throughout Ireland, it will focus on the geology, archaeology and history of your county. As such the course is aimed toward local people (who will be given preference for available course places) who are enthusiasts of natural and cultural heritage.

Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer with Laois County Council said “We are delighted to be working with the Irish Heritage School to bring this course to everyone with an interest in the Heritage of Laois. During recent lock-downs we have all become much more aware of the beauty and value of our own local place, and this course taps into that interest. We hope it will equip people with the tools they need to research their locality and look at their own patch with new eyes. We are really grateful for the support of Creative Ireland in Laois, which allows us to bring this course to the public for free.”

The September course is now booked out and we are investigating the possibility of delivering a further course in early 2022.

The Know Your Locality Course is delivered by the Irish Heritage School in partnership the Heritage Office of Laois County Council supported by Creative Ireland Laois and the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022)