Wonderful Heritage Week in Roscrea

Roscrea Heritage Society’s events for National Heritage Week got off to a great start with their walking tour last Monday week.  
A great crowd formed to join Dick Conroy on a guided tour of Roscrea. Dick captivated the audience with his stories and knowledge of our heritage sites and also threw in a ghost story for the younger visitors. The jury is still out on whether it’s a true story or not!
Wednesday saw 40 people gather outside Roscrea Castle for a bus to take them to Fancroft Mill and Gardens. This event attracted visitors from neighbouring towns and counties. Irene and Marcus Sweeney were fantastic hosts on the day, starting off with an in-depth presentation of the site, followed by refreshments and then onto a very detailed tour of the Mill and Gardens. On the bus journey home many were already planning a return visit with family and friends in the near future.
On Thursday evening, the Courtyard of Roscrea Castle came alive with the sound of music by Seamus Moloughney, Paddy Curran and friends. Visitors were treated to a mixture of stories by Peter Byrne that had everyone in stitches! You could have heard a pin drop as Molly Donnery sang songs that left the audience mesmerised. A great evening was had by all.
On Friday morning, members of Roscrea Country Market sold their baked goods and fresh produce from the marquee in the Castle Courtyard. Visitors enjoyed a cuppa and a chat, and also availed of a free guided tour of the Castle and Damer House.
Saturday saw members of all nationalities come together in the Castle Courtyard for our Intercultural day. This event was sponsored by the Department of Equality and Justice. 

Children were entertained by Konor the magician, had their faces painted by Teresa and also enjoyed a range of activities such as painting fairy doors with Mary and colouring maps of many countries. Visitors sampled foods such as a Hungarian stew, Polish soup, French cheese and South African crisps, to name a few. It was lovely to see so many people of different nationalities come together to enjoy and celebrate their cultures.    
Roscrea Heritage Society would like to thank everyone who participated and helped out with our events. It was great to see so many people enjoying and celebrating their Heritage.