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Community & Heritage

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We understand our work as archaeologists and our role as an academic discipline to include active engagement with communities who are the present day inheritors of the heritage we investigate. We value our strong links to local communities in the west of Ireland as well as similar work in other parts of the country. We are pleased to have links with a number of museums locally and nationally and with other public heritage institutions such as The Heritage Council.

Staff members contribute to the development of heritage and planning policy at local, national and international levels. Some staff work with communities and their organisations in other countries whose heritage is impacted by development, for example in Turkey, the Middle East and Latin America and with immigrant and asylum communities in Europe. A key priority is making resources, skills and information available through outreach programmes for both adults and children, public talks, publications and providing support to communities investigating and defending their heritage.

One of the focal areas of our research and teaching is public archaeology, developing professional ethics and standards through mutual accountability between professionals and communities in support of their heritage. The various initiatives concerning Community and Heritage which have been developed by members of the Discipline of Archaeology at NUI Galway may be explored under the following headings:

Education
Includes information on various educational initiatives targeted towards the wider community including the Diploma in Archaeology

Community Resources
Includes information on public lectures given by staff members and contributions made by staff members to monument guidebooks, other popular publications and site information plaques.

Community Involvement
Community Involvement in Heritage Includes information on community excavations, excavation open days and community-based research in the public archaeology research cluster.

Heritage, Communities and Development
Includes information on public archaeology projects to support communities defending their culture and heritage and advocacy work by members of staff.

Heritage, Communities and Development, Heritage and Planning Policy
Includes information on institutions and committees on which members of staff serve locally, nationally and internationally.
Read Conor Newman on heritage - from Heritage Outlook, the magazine of the Heritage Council - Summer 2009 (811 KB)

Heritage guides published in collaboration with Roscommon County Council

(available for purchase online at: https://www.rathcroghan.ie/shop/ )


Fenwick, J. 2021 Rathra: a royal stronghold of early mediveal Connacht. Roscommon.	O'Conor, K. & Shanahan, B. 2018 Rindoon castle and deserted mediecval town: a visitor's guide. Roscommon.

O'Conor, K, & Shanahan, B. 2013 Roscommon abbey: a visitor's guide. Roscommon.	O'Conor, K. & Murhpy, M. 2008 Roscommon castle: a visitor's guide. Roscommon.