News:
Westmeath County Council is one of 10 Local Authorities who have been allocated funding for a Biodiversity Officer. For details of this announcement from the Minister for Heritage see: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/79a0a-approval-for-ten-new-biodiversity-officers-to-bolster-local-action-for-nature/
Connecting Communities with Peatlands - Upcoming opportunities: Interpretation & Conservation Planning; Relationship & Conflict Management for community groups; Facebook & Instagram for Beginners. Course details: https://communitywetlandsforum.ie/news/ or get in touch aoife@irishrurallink.ie
Farming For nature – have you voted for the 2022 Farming for NatureAmbassador?The 15 nominees for this award include Westmeath Farmer James Ham Deadline for voting is Fri 28th Oct. For details and to vote see: https://www.farmingfornature.ie/awards/voting/
Events:
Tues 18th – Sat 22nd Oct Castlepollard Library and Mon 24th Oct – Wed 2nd Nov. Athlone Library ‘Sibhialta Atá mé - Civil I am’ - Exhibition of Civil War Photos with a Sound Scape (soundscape can be accessed with headphones and a smartphone). The exhibition is curated by Damien Quin and supported by the Decade of Centenaries Programme, Dept. Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. For more details see: https://www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/ourservices/planning/conservationheritage/decadeofcentenariesblog/exhibitionofphotosfromtheirishcivilwar.html
Thurs 27th Oct – the Athlone Exhibition will be launched by Cathaoirleach Cllr Aengus O’Rourke and Historian in Residence Ian Kenneally will give a short introduction to the exhibition, with specific reference to several of the images in the context of censorship and propaganda during the Civil War.
Thurs 20th Oct Moate Library at 6:30pm; Tues 25th Oct Athlone Library at 6:30pm; 1st Nov Mullingar Library Athlone Library at 6:30pm - Illustrated Talk by award willing nature photographer and author Tina Claffey, who will give illustrated talks about her work and sign copies of her book ‘Portal’. Come and meet Tina and you will be entered into a raffle for a signed copy of Tina’s book. Copies of ‘Portal’ will also be available for purchase. Tina’s visits to Westmeath Libraries are supported by Creative Ireland.
Fri 21st – Sat 22nd Oct The Follies Trust in partnership with the Irish Georgian Society and with funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is undertaking two events – a study day followed by a site visit – to raise awareness and increase understanding of the Malone mausoleum within the context of the Early Christian site at Kilbixy, Co. Westmeath. For details and to register see:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-malone-mausoleum-kilbixy-co-westmeath-study-day-and-site-visit-tickets-417839758967?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete&keep_tld=1
Mon 24th Oct. 10am – 4pm, Heritage Ireland 2030 Summit, Edmund Burke Theatre, Trinity College Dublin and Streaming online for those interested in and who enjoy heritage and those involved in its management and custodianship to showcase successful projects, explore challenges and opportunities and outline progress in delivering the objectives of Ireland’s new national heritage plan. Register through Eventbrite.
Tues 25th Oct. 7.30pm,: Live streamed online To mark the centenary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Irish Free State (Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann) by Act of Dáil Éireann on 25 October 1922, the National Archives and the Courts Service of Ireland present a unique event; a dramatic re-enactment of the proceedings of the 1922 Constitution Committee, performed in the Constitution Suite of the Shelbourne Hotel where the committee met over a period of six weeks. The Constitution Committee was appointed by the Provisional Government in January 1922 to draft the first Constitution of the Irish Free State and was chaired by Michael Collins. Records held in the National Archives comprise minutes, drafts, research and administrative material produced by the workings of the committee. This theatrical production, developed, produced and directed by Geoff Gould based on the records, will tell the story of the committee – What were its objectives? Who were its members? It promises to bring-to-life the discussion and debates between committee members and shed light on the drafting process and final document. It will be broadcast live from the room in which those deliberations took place. The event will be broadcast on the Courts Service You Tube Channel and/ or available directly via the National Archives website. You can register your interest here.
Wed 26th October, 8pm Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society will host Author and Journalist Ronan McGreevy, whowill speak on ‘The assassination of Sir Henry Wilson MP - prelude to Civil War’. Free event supported by the Decade of Centenaries Programme, DTCAGSM.