Each year, Heritage Week kicks off on the third weekend of August and runs until the end of the following weekend. Many national and hundreds of local community organisations participate by organising events throughout the country. Many of the events that take place during the week are free and the programme highlights the abundance of great work that is carried out in all communities in Ireland to preserve and promote our natural, built and cultural heritage.
The LIVE Project Heritage Week Guided Walks
Discover Iveragh - Join our Knowledge Gatherers for a series of guided walks exploring different aspects of the natural heritage of Iveragh Peninsula.
These easy to moderate walks will take place on different mornings during Heritage Week, on a number of topics, including choughs, lizards, coastal geology, strandline biodiversity, and more. Our expert team will guide you through their current fieldwork and research projects in a number of locations on the coastline of south Kerry.
These guided walks are outdoors, so will be subject to weather conditions and in line with the HSE and Kerry County Council Safe Destinations covid guidelines.
A maximum of 10 participants for each walk, so booking is essential!
For all enquiries, you can email live@ucc.ie.
WALK 1: Discover the Red billed Chough and Common Lizard on Valentia Island
Date: Monday - 16th August 2021
Time: 9.30am - 10.30am
Duration: 1 hour
Level of difficulty: Easy, family friendly.
Meeting point: Tetrapod Trackway Carpark, Valentia Island, Co. Kerry
Guides: This free Walk and Talk is presented by ecologists Fiach Byrne and Linda Lyne
Details: The Red-billed Chough is the rarest species of crow found in Ireland and is only found in the country’s coastal regions. We will speak about what makes this location such an enticing place for choughs to build their nests, and how the landscape influences their foraging activities.
We will then introduce you to one of Ireland’s lesser-known species: The Common Lizard. These reptiles are often difficult to spot to the untrained eye, so we will have an expert on hand to give us the best possible chance of finding them on the walk. Some unique features of Ireland’s built heritage play an important role in the ecology of these two species.
For further details and bookings:
WALK 2: Discover Iveragh’s volcanic past and strandline biodiversity on Whitestrand, Cahersiveen.
Date: Tuesday - 17th August 2021
Time: 9.30am - 11.00am
Duration: 1 ½ hours
Level of difficulty: Easy, family friendly. Some scrambling for best view of rocks but not essential
Meeting point: Whitestrand Car Park, Ballycarberry South, Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry
Guides: This free Walk and Talk is presented by geologist Anna Collyer and ecologist Jane Sheehan
Details: Explore Whitestrand’s amazing coastal geology and learn about the lesser-known volcanic chapter in Iveragh’s geologic history. See for yourself what happened when magma erupted to the surface here, over 380 million years ago. Then join in the beach exploration, and a talk on coastal biodiversity.
For further details and bookings:
WALK 3: Discover Iveragh’s native forests on the start of the Beentee Walk, Cahersiveen.
Date: Thursday - 19th August 2021
Time: 9.30am - 11.30am
Duration: approx 2 hours
Level of difficulty: We will travel up a moderate hill and along a forest path with uneven surfaces, walking approximately 2km in total. Bring raincoats and hiking boots
Meeting point: Park and meet at Fair Green in Cahersiveen
Guides: This free Walk and Talk is presented by ecologists Linda Lyne and Calum Sweeney
Details: Explore the natural heritage with a walk in the woods, native species galore and shelter from the rain! We will tell you about the trees you find there, the species that grow on them, with them and under them.
Native forests are rare on the Iveragh peninsula and are a vital habitat for native flora and fauna. Come and learn about some of the wildlife you might encounter in these precious Irish habitats.
For further details, and bookings:
There is a wealth of natural, built and cultural heritage on the Iveragh Peninsula. For full details of each of the Heritage Week events, you can visit the official Heritage Week website: https://www.heritageweek.ie/.
We are compiling a list of all the wonderful Heritage Week events happening on the Iveragh Peninsula here. If you are running an event, please let us know, so we can add you to our list.
Heritage Week Events in South Kerry 14th - 22nd August 2021
In person events:
Seashore Safari with Sea Synergy, 16th, 17th August from 4pm - 5.30pm
A Day in the Woods Family Workshop with the Kerry Biosphere, 16th August from 10am - 1.30pm.
Open the door to the Historic Environment Viewer of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland with Heritage Iveragh/Oidhreacht Uíbh Ráthaigh, on Saturday 21st August from 9.30am - 10.30am.
Community Archaeology Project with Heritage Iveragh/Oidhreacht Uíbh Ráthaigh. Online session on Friday 20th of August, from 10am - 11am. Then in person on Saturday 21st August from 2pm - 7pm.
Walk in the footsteps of Gerry Enright with with Heritage Iveragh/Oidhreacht Uíbh Ráthaigh, on Sunday 22nd August from 2pm - 5pm.
Waterville Cable Heritage Scavenger Hunt - 'Friends of Waterville Cable Station' are organising a family fun Scavenger Hunt, with some fun spot prizes. Entries accepted until 6pm on 22nd August. For details, contact them through their Facebook Page.
Online Events:
Sneem Sculpture Trail Audio Narration - available all week
Plants of Kerry UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - August 13th 7.30pm
- LIVE Knowledge Gatherer, Calum Sweeney will present at this event.
Socio-Economic Impacts of the EU Kerry LIVE Project, Iveragh Peninsula - August 16th, 7.30pm
An Island of Dark Skies - Dark Skies Ireland - August 17th, 18th, 19th, 5pm
- Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve event takes place on August 19th
All About Coad Bog with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council - August 20th, 1pm
The LIVE Project are members of Leave No Trace, an outdoor ethics programme designed to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. You can read more about our commitment to these principles here. We have also participated in the Kerry Safe Destination Programme 2021 and are committed to your safety and welfare during these events.
Please note that we will be taking photographs and short recordings during this event to share on the LIVE social media channels, newsletters and website. You will be given the opportunity to opt out of appearing in these recordings. If you think you have been filmed or photographed against your wishes, please let a LIVE team member know and we will delete the image immediately. If you have any queries regarding how we handle personal data, please contact live@ucc.ie or refer to our data protection notice (https://www.ecomuseumlive.eu/privacy-policy).
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