The dedication of Mayo person, Anne-Julie Lafaye, to the preservation and promotion of the county’s heritage, was recognised at the National Heritage Awards 2018 and closing ceremony for the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.
The special event at the Royal Irish Academy was attended by Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Seán Kyne TD and presented by RTÉ broadcaster, Mary Kennedy.
Hosted by the Heritage Council, the National Heritage Week Awards highlight Ireland’s ‘heritage heroes’ and showcase the most engaging and innovative National Heritage Week events. Close to 700 nominations were received across five categories in 2018.
Anne-Julie Lafaye was shortlisted for the Hidden Heritage Award. This category recognised event organisers who successfully explored lesser known aspects of Ireland’s heritage during National Heritage Week and helped shine a light on Ireland’s hidden heritage.
Her event, ‘Burriscarra Medieval Landscape’ explored the history and archaeology of the site of one of the most extensive remains of an Augustinian friary in Ireland. The talk shared innovative methods of archaeological recording to an audience that might not be familiar with these technologies.
