A three day festival celebrating the heritage of Tyrrellspass organised by Tyrrellspass Festival Committee has won the top award for Best Overall Event during National Heritage Week 2011. The event also won the award for Best Interactive Event.
The inaugural National Heritage Week Event Awards are organised by the Heritage Council, coordinators of National Heritage Week.
The judging committee identified the Tyrrellspass Festival as a clear winner of the Best Interactive Event and Best Overall Event of the week. The committee felt that the Tyrrellspass Festival, which was organised by a voluntary group of locals captured the imagination of the community. The event which sought to celebrate the heritage of Tyrrellspass attracted significant attention, with national and local media coverage. The event was designed around Tyrrellsspass Castle which is 600 years old and gave a strong medieval theme to the festival. Young groups were encouraged to get involved in the festival by dressing up in traditional costume and taking part in the grand parade. Members of the community were also given the opportunity to take guided tours of the castle, which is normally closed to the public. Other events included bog walks, architectural talks, a Sunday fete, choral evening, and a ceili.
Speaking about the winners, Michael Starrett, chief executive of the Heritage Council said, “These awards are an opportunity for National Heritage Week event organisers to be recognised for the tremendous work they do in organising and running events which increase the educational and heritage value of the week. This year was the most successful National Heritage Week to date with over 700 organisations and individuals organising over 1,500 events nationwide. The week would simply not take place without the dedication and commitment of these people and we are delighted to recognise their achievements.”
