For those who don’t go away in August, there are a number of events which will certainly be of interest to some of our readers.

Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society
The Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society was founded in Pembroke Library in 2006 with the aim of promoting an interest in local history in the area. To this end the Society arranges lectures, exhibitions and walking tours. (They also publish an ‘Annual Record’ if you are curious about talks and events that went on during the previous year.)

There are no lectures in August, and the September schedule will be confirmed later this month.
Lecture meetings are mostly held in St Mary’s National School, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook at 8.00 p.m. The night and venue can vary, so it is advisable to check the website, www.bdshistory.org, for up-to-date information.

Programmes and membership application forms are also available from Pembroke Library. You don’t have to be a member to attend the talks, but if you are, the talks are free. For further information, contact pembrokelibrary@dublincity.ie or phone 01-6689575.

Saturday 8 August: Tour of Donnybrook Graveyard
People are invited to come along to one of the scheduled openings of Donnybrook Graveyard in Donnybrook Village, and enjoy a tour with David Neary, retired Parks Department Officer, Dublin City Council.

All tours will begin at 3pm alongside the graveyard entrance on Donnybrook Road. There are many famous people buried in the graveyard, which is larger than it looks from the road. According to David Neary, “The Donnybrook Graveyard Tour is for me a celebration of life of the lives of the Dubliners who have been put to rest there over the past eight hundred years, and possibly earlier.”

Some Library events in August and September
On Wednesday August 5th, from 2–4 pm, at the Central Library, ILAC Centre, Henry Street, Dublin 1, there is an information stall for adults from other countries who are seeking employment and/ or further training and education in Ireland.

Staff from EPIC (Employment for People from Immigrant Communities) will be available to provide information, advice and support. This event is free of charge, and all are welcome.
For more information, call 01 873 3996 / 873 4333 or email the businesslibrary@dublincity.ie.

Walking the Camino through the Ages: An Epic Journey from St. James’s Gate to Santiago de Compostela
This is an illustrated talk with Robert Poynton of the Irish Society of the Friends of St. James. St. James’s Gate in Dublin was, traditionally, a main starting point for Irish pilgrims to begin their journey to Santiago. Their pilgrims’ passports were (and still can be) stamped there before setting sail, usually for La Coruna, north of Santiago. Waterford and Cork harbours were also starting points for Irish pilgrims.

Nowadays, many fly and train it to their starting points within Spain or mainland Europe. Le Puy (France), St. Jean Pied de Port (France), Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Sarria, and Oporto (Portugal) are all popular initial destinations. The braver are drawn to more complicated methods and itineraries! Accommodation en route comes in the form of refugios or albergues.

Part of Heritage Week 2009, this event is on Wednesday 26th August at 6pm in the Dolphin’s Barn Library, at Parnell Road, Dublin 12. Admission is free but booking is essential.

Heritage Week 2009: 22-30th August
Heritage Week again features many activities in all parts of the city and country. To make the most of these one-off opportunities, it is a good idea to get a programme as soon as possible to plan your participation, because if you blink, you’ll certainly miss something you wish you had known about.

Heritage Week is a week dedicated to celebrating who we are and where we’ve come from. It is part of European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union. In Ireland, Heritage Week is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council with support from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Each year many national and hundreds of local community organisations participate by organising events throughout the country. There is something to appeal to almost everyone and the main aim is to build awareness of our built, natural and cultural heritage, thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation.

What’s On?
There is something taking place in every county and most activities are free of charge or offer great value for money. Everyone is encouraged to get involved and activities range from fairs, night-time bat walks, wildlife tours and lectures to music recitals, historical re-enactments, and outdoor activities. Many heritage sites and stately homes will offer free admission or special concessions.

The website event search on www.heritageweek.ie lists as of this writing, 27 pages of events in Dublin alone, and more may be added. One local event is a talk on late Victorian heritage, the history of Mount Eden Road with Patricia McKenna at 6.30pm in Pembroke Library in Ballsbridge. This will be followed by a walk at 7.30pm. Admission is free, but booking is essential.

For more information on this or other events, please check with the Heritage Council’s 2009 event search, or contact them directly on 1850 200 878, or by email to: events@heritagecouncil.com

Text John Cheevers