Cultural Heritage

What is Cultural Heritage?

Cultural Heritage is the legacy of both the artefacts and intangible attributes, values, and traditions of a group or society that are inherited from previous generations, maintained in the current generation, and preserved for future generations.

Cultural Heritage in County Cork

County Cork is part of Ireland’s distinct and varied Cultural Heritage. With two Gaeltacht areas: Cape Clear (Oileán Chléire) and Muskerry (Múscraí), the Irish language and its customs, such as music, sport, and literature are very much central to life in the county. Cork is well-known for its many festivals which celebrate the cultural of the region, including the Story Telling Festival in Cape Clear, the Medieval Festival in Youghal, and the Mitchelstown Food Festival.

The Heritage Unit and Cultural Heritage:

The Heritage Unit has supported a number of different projects and initiatives in the area of Cultural Heritage over the years. These include oral history projects, the National Famine Commemoration Day in 2009, and an exhibition on Cork Local Studies coinciding with Heritage Week in 2007.

Legislation:

National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997

National Archives Act 1986

Civil Registration Act, 2004

Useful Links:

Culture Ireland

Cultural Heritage Ireland

National Archives

Cork Heritage Website