Heritage Week 2026 - Celebrating our natural heritage
With the theme of National Heritage Week 2026 being ‘Heritage at Risk’, highlighting aspects of our built, natural and cultural heritage that are vulnerable or at risk, Dromiskin Tidy Towns chose to focus on the village’s natural heritage and, in particular, the work being undertaken locally to protect and enhance biodiversity.
With the Heritage Council also highlighting local stories and ways of life as important elements of our heritage, there was no better person to lead the event than renowned ecologist, environmental consultant and radio and television personality Éanna Ní Lamhna. Éanna led attendees on an entertaining and informative nature walk through Dromiskin, sharing her extensive knowledge and many stories along the way.
The event commenced with a small group visiting the AOH Garden to view the newly planted Moth Garden, which contains a variety of night-scented flowers specifically selected to support these important nocturnal pollinators. Éanna was delighted to see the recently installed ‘Why Moths Matter’ information panel, designed to raise awareness of the important role moths play in our ecosystem.
Later, addressing the larger gathering of more than 100 people, Éanna reminded everyone that moths often get a bad press which they simply do not deserve, given their important role as pollinators. She humorously noted that many people associate moths primarily with “eating your clothes”, when, of approximately 2,000 species of moth found in Ireland, only two have an interest in clothing – and even then, they prefer the very best wool or silk!
The next stop was the No Mow Zone on the Co-Op Field, where Éanna was formally introduced to the larger gathering by the Chairman of Dromiskin Tidy Towns, Pat Mulligan. Éanna spoke about the considerable benefits of no-mow areas for insects and other wildlife. While acknowledging that some people may initially regard such areas as untidy, she explained that allowing grass and wild plants to grow naturally is one of the simplest and most effective ways of supporting biodiversity and providing valuable habitats for insect life.
From there, the group proceeded to the Heritage Park, where Dromiskin Tidy Towns' latest installation, a Bird Sounds Clock, was officially unveiled by Éanna in the presence of Cllr Dolores Minogue, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council.
Addressing the gathering, Cllr Minogue confirmed that Louth County Council was delighted to support this innovative project through the Tidy Towns Project Scheme. She also took the opportunity to acknowledge the superb work carried out by Tidy Towns volunteers throughout County Louth and wished all participating groups the very best of luck when the National Tidy Towns results are announced in October.
The nature walk continued along the Siúl na Manach Greenway, providing an opportunity to highlight the considerable work undertaken by Dromiskin Tidy Towns in developing and maintaining this well-used community amenity. Features along the route include whitethorn hedging planted to support biodiversity and a dispersed community orchard of 71 trees, each sponsored by a local family – a wonderful example of the community playing an active role in enhancing the village's natural environment.
The final stop was Ginnety’s Pond Nature Park, where Éanna planted a Weeping Birch tree as a permanent reminder of Heritage Week 2026 in Dromiskin.
There was further good news when Dromiskin Tidy Towns volunteer Kevin Halpenny announced that the group's next major biodiversity project will commence in October with the planting of Phase 1 of an Alluvial Woodland Forest – or, as he explained, “a fancy name for a woodland in a wetland area.”
The environmental and climate benefits of this type of woodland are significant. Alluvial trees and their surrounding habitat can help retain water during periods of heavy rainfall and release it more gradually during prolonged dry spells, while also creating valuable new habitats and increasing biodiversity.
The project has been made possible through a grant from the River Basin Management Service (formerly LAWPRO) together with sponsorship from 20 local families, once again demonstrating the strong partnership between Dromiskin Tidy Towns, supporting organisations and the local community.
Everyone is now looking forward to the commencement of this important planting project in October, coinciding with National Tree Day and Climate Action Week.
The Heritage Week event provided a fitting celebration of the considerable biodiversity work already taking place throughout Dromiskin while also highlighting the importance of protecting our natural heritage for future generations. With more than 100 people joining Éanna Ní Lamhna on the walk, the excellent turnout demonstrated the community's enthusiasm for ensuring that Dromiskin's natural heritage is not only appreciated today, but actively protected for tomorrow.
Comments