Heritage Week 2026 at Kilkenny Library Service
Kilkenny County Council Library Service is delighted to announce an exciting programme of events for Heritage Week 2026, taking place from 15 to 23 August 2026.
This year’s theme, “Heritage at Risk,” encourages us to explore the built, natural and cultural aspects of our heritage that are endangered, and to reimagine and revive sites, artefacts, customs and practices that are at risk of being lost.
From family heirlooms and historical documents to literary heritage, local industries and genealogy, this year’s programme offers something for everyone. Libraries across the county will host a diverse range of talks, workshops and heritage activities celebrating Kilkenny’s rich cultural legacy. Highlights include:
- Tom Treacy and the Aftermath of the 1916 Rising in Kilkenny with Orla Murphy, Saturday 15 August, 2.30pm to 3.30pm, Mayfair Library.
- 1926 Census Talks with historian Michael Reynolds, exploring the role of Kilkenny Gardaí as the State’s first enumerators:
- Mayfair Library, Saturday 22 August, 11am to 12.30pm
- Thomastown Library, Saturday 22 August, 3pm to 4.30pm
- Kilkenny Library Local Studies Roadshow, where members of the public can bring photographs, letters, maps, memorabilia and other items for discussion, preservation and possible inclusion in the Kilkenny Digital Archive.
- Roadshow Dates and Locations
- Ferrybank Library – Tuesday, 18 August, 10am–12pm
- Graiguenamanagh Library – Tuesday, 18 August, 2.30pm–4.30pm
- Thomastown Library – Tuesday, 18 August, 3pm–5pm
- Loughboy Library – Wednesday, 19 August, 10.30am–12.30pm
- Mayfair Library – Thursday, 20 August, 10am–12pm
- Castlecomer Library – Saturday, 22 August, 11am–1pm
- 300 Years of Gulliver’s Travels, a special talk by Dr Brendan Twomey in Castlecomer Library on 18 August at 6.30pm.
- The Story of Cushendale Woollen Mills with Miriam from Cushendale Woollen Mills, Graiguenamanagh Library, Tuesday 18 August at 6.30pm.
- What’s the Difference? Bees, Wasps and Hoverflies, a family-friendly talk and craft session in Graiguenamanagh Library on Wednesday 19 at 11am. Booking advised.
- Street-Level Imagery Survey of Kilkenny City with Anne-Karoline Distel, Wednesday 19 August, 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
- Discover Your Past Through Newspapers, free one-to-one family and local history sessions in Thomastown Library on Wednesday 19 August, 2pm to 4.30pm.
- Thomastown Workhouse in the 1920s and the 1926 Census with Teresa Wemyss.
- Explore Kilkenny’s History Online, one-to-one sessions in Thomastown Library on Thursday 20 August, 10am to 1pm.
- Names, Stories and Landscapes: Uncovering the Heritage of the Barrow, presented by Waterways Ireland in Graiguenamanagh Library on Friday 21 August, 11am to 12pm.
We encourage everyone to take part and discover the stories, people and places that make Kilkenny’s heritage unique.
You can find further information on all Heritage Week events at www.heritageweek.ie or by contacting your local library branch.