Four more cultural practices – Irish set dancing, St Brigid’s cross weaving, Gaelic football and the Irish amateur dramatic tradition – have been added to Ireland’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, bringing the total to 42 and underscoring the State’s ongoing commitment to preserving our unique living customs, crafts, sports and traditions.
In a significant development for Ireland’s cultural heritage, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, has announced the formal State recognition of four additional practices on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This announcement, made on 14 July at the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final between Galway and Donegal in Croke Park, brings the total number of recognized cultural practices on the inventory to 42.
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The four newly recognized intangible heritage practices are Irish set dancing, the weaving of St Brigid’s crosses, the Irish amateur dramatic tradition, and Gaelic football and ladies’ Gaelic football. These additions follow a recommendation from Ireland’s Expert Advisory Committee on intangible cultural heritage.
What is intangible heritage?
According to UNESCO, intangible cultural heritage can be defined as
“the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.”
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The national inventory, which Ireland maintains in accordance with the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, aims to protect, promote and celebrate the country’s living cultural practices, customs, crafts and traditions. The most recent additions reinforce Ireland’s commitment to preserving its unique cultural heritage.
All practices included in the national list are classified into five broad categories: oral traditions and expressions (including language); social practices, rituals and festive events; traditional craftsmanship; performing arts; and knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe. These categories encompass a diverse array of intangible cultural practices, including Irish traditional music, Wren Day traditions, basketmaking, St Moling’s pilgrims’ route, Irish draught horse breeding and loy digging – to name just a few.
The national inventory remains open to new submissions. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media invites interested parties to submit expressions of interest. Application forms can be downloaded here and submitted via email to nationalich@tcagsm.gov.ie. The applications are revised by the Expert Advisory Committee to establish if they meet the following criteria:
- Is the nominated practice “intangible cultural heritage” as defined under the UNESCO 2003 Convention?
- Are safeguarding measures in place to ensure transmission by a community of practitioners?
- Is there support from the community of practitioners for the nomination to the national inventory?
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Where the Expert Advisory Committee determine that an application meets the criteria for inscription on the national inventory, a recommendation will be made to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for final decision.
Irish cultural practices seeking global recognition on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity must first be inscribed on Ireland’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The State is entitled to make one nomination for inscription on the UNESCO Representative List every year. Ireland currently has four practices inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List: uilleann piping (inscribed 2017), hurling (inscribed 2018), Irish harping (inscribed 2019) and falconry (inscribed 2021).
>>> READ MORE: Moravian village of Gracehill in Antrim gains UNESCO World Heritage Status
Minister Martin emphasized the importance of Ireland’s living cultural heritage, stating:
“Our living heritage is an integral part of our culture. I am pleased to announce state recognition of four further practices through Ireland’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Each of these practices is integral to the culture and identify of the communities who practice them, and to our society more broadly. As part of my department’s ongoing obligations under the UNESCO 2003 Convention, we aim to acknowledge, safeguard and promote Ireland’s cultural heritage. The practices recognized today continue to thrive through the dedicated communities who sustain and pass on their skills through the generations”
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Jarlath Burns, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, expressed his pride in the inclusion of Gaelic games in the inventory:
“We are extremely honoured to have Gaelic football formally added to Ireland’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Just as hurling and camogie were recognized by UNESCO in 2018, this recognition is important because Gaelic football and ladies’ Gaelic football are an intrinsic part of who we are. They are unique to us and their importance to Irish people is evidenced by their popularity in more than 1,600 clubs throughout this island and the 500 GAA clubs which exist elsewhere in the world. We are enormously proud of the skills and artistry which have evolved in our national games over centuries, and we are delighted that Gaelic games have been recognized and supported by the government, and thank Minister Catherine Martin and her colleagues for their continuing support.”
Helen O’Rourke, Ard-Stiúrthóir of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA), welcomed the recognition as a significant milestone:
“We are delighted to have ladies’ Gaelic football recognized on this list. This is a timely announcement as we get set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association next Thursday, 18 July. We have come a long way in half a century, with almost 200,000 members in our association, and over 1,000 clubs across Ireland and Britain… Our entire membership base has played a key role to ensure that this has now come to pass and we wish to acknowledge Minster Catherine Martin and her colleagues, who continue to provide invaluable assistance and support. I warmly welcome this important development and it is also wonderful to see men’s Gaelic football formally recognized in a similar vein.”
For more information, visit the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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