News

Maharees Group Presented With New Award In Honour Of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh

.
Back row L-R: Mick Whelan, Jeanne Spillane, Patricia Browne, Patricia Herrero, Martha Farrell, Mikey O’Leary. Front row L-R: Alan O’Leary, Micheál O’Leary, Monty O’Leary, Virginia Teehan CEO of the Heritage Council, Colum Walsh (Community Water Development Officer for Kerry, LAWPRO) Picture: Clare Keogh

A NEW Heritage Council award in honour of the legendary GAA commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh was presented to The Maharees Conservation Association at the weekend.

Launched by Tánaiste Micheál Martin at a special event at the Cork Camogie Grounds in Cork city, The ‘Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh – Gradam Dúchais’, or Intangible Cultural Heritage Award, was given to a group whose 2024 National Heritage Week event encouraged a greater appreciation of our traditions, crafts, skills, customs and practices.

The Maharees Conservation Association won the award for their Currach Making demonstration during National Heritage Week with the O’Leary family, who have been making currachs in Maharees for five generations.

Continued below…

.

Those who attended their event learned how the currachs have connected and sustained the communities living in Maharees and around the Tralee Bay area.

The Tánaiste and the Heritage Council were joined by the award winners, members of Micheál Ó Muirecheartaigh’s family, several players from Cork’s 2024 All-Ireland winning Cork camogie team and UCD history professor Paul Rouse.

“We would like to thank the Heritage Council for this award, for their support in helping us to share our heritage and for inspiring us to stage events for Heritage Week,” said Maharees Conservation Association secretary, Patricia Browne.

“We thank the Local Authority Waters Programme for part-funding our event and funding several natural heritage events this year

“Huge thanks to Alan Lynch (a long-time visitor to Maharees) who interviewed Monty O’Leary at the event and to Mick Whelan, Maharees Conservation member, who filmed the event.”

“We would like to acknowledge our Maharees Heritage committee which has been organising cultural heritage events for 11 years to celebrate the essence of Maharees and we are indebted to them for their contribution to preserving our sense of identity.”

“We are so grateful to the O’Leary family for agreeing to take part in our National Heritage Week Event – it was a special moment and all who attended felt like we were watching a piece of history in the making,” said Patricia.

The Maharees Conservation Association will be formally celebrated along with all the other 2024 award winners at the National Heritage Week awards ceremony at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin on November 15th.