Members of a west Kerry conservation group have been presented with a cultural heritage award which has been inaugurated by the Heritage Council to honour the memory of the broadcaster and sports commentator, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh.
Maharees Conservation Association received the award for the currach-making demonstration the association organised during National Heritage Week in August.
Five generations of the O'Leary family from Maharees in west Kerry have been currach or naomhóg builders.
These are traditional canoes made from wood, canvas and tar.
The family comes from Maharees, a 5km-long tombolo on the northern side of the Corca Dhuibhne peninsula in Co Kerry.
A thin, sandy strip connects Maharees with the Dingle Peninsula near the village of Castlegregory.
The O'Leary family demonstration showed how currachs and naomhógs have connected and sustained communities in the area for many generations.
Details of the inaugural Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh Gradam Dúchais were announced at a function in Cork this afternoon by the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin. The function was also attended by members of Mr Ó Muircheartaigh's family.
The Heritage Council said the inaugural award was being given to Maharees Conservation Association for their organisation of a Heritage Week event which encouraged a greater appreciation of our traditions, crafts, skills, customs and practices.
The Heritage Council said naming the new award after Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh was timely and appropriate.
"Although he lived most of his life in Dublin, Micheál is unmistakably associated with the community of west Kerry," Heritage Council Chief Executive Virginia Teehan said.
"So much of our work involves encouraging and supporting communities to take pride and ownership in their own place."
Speaking at the function, the Tánaiste said annual exchequer funding for heritage projects has increased from €170m to €268m since 2020, with the sector contributing €4.6 billion annually to the Irish economy.
Mr Martin also paid tribute to Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh.
"There is scarcely an individual in the country who could represent the richness of our cultural heritage more than the great Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh," he said.
"The sound of his voice provides, for many, the backdrop for times now past, and offers a window to so much that is positive about our culture - our language, our national games, storytelling and a sense of where we come from."
The Maharees Conservation Association will be formally presented with the new award, along with other 2024 award winners, at the National Heritage Week awards ceremony at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin on 15 November.
