Laois Heritage Week took place from August 13–21 in venues across the county.
Heritage Week celebrated all the best of the built, natural and cultural Heritage of the county and the communities and individuals who look after it.
The theme for Heritage Week this year is “Biodiversity and Sustainability”.
Over the next few days, we will bring you pictures from all of the events that took place.
Up next, we take a look at an event hosted in Abbeyleix Library.
Sinead Holland and Tom de Vesci gave a talk on the history of the famous Abbeyleix family – de Vescis.
A flag which was presented to Col James Fitzmaurice during his victorious trip around America following the first East West Transatlantic Flight was presented to Laois County Council during Heritage Week.
Mr B Ross MacMahon presenting the flag to Portlaoise where the young James Fitzmaurice grew up.
In addition to the presentation, the event included a talk by the foremost expert of Fitzmaurice in Laois, Teddy Fennelly, Fitzmaurice’s time in America, and the formal launch of the Fitzmaurice Archive.
This is a digital archive of conserved newspapers and other documents relating to the first flight, presented by Teddy Fennelly to the Laois Local Studies Digital Archive.
Photographer Alf Harvey was present at these events and you can check out his pictures below:
De Vesci Family Abbeyleix Library
Snapshots from De Vesci Family history with Sinead Holland from Laois Libraries and Tom De Vesci 7th Viscount De Vesci at Abbeyelix Library. Picture: Alf Harvey.Snapshots from De Vesci Family history with Sinead Holland from Laois Libraries and Tom De Vesci 7th Viscount De Vesci at Abbeyelix Library. Picture: Alf Harvey.Snapshots from De Vesci Family history with Sinead Holland from Laois Libraries and Tom De Vesci 7th Viscount De Vesci at Abbeyelix Library. Picture: Alf Harvey.Snapshots from De Vesci Family history with Sinead Holland from Laois Libraries and Tom De Vesci 7th Viscount De Vesci at Abbeyelix Library. Picture: Alf Harvey.Snapshots from De Vesci Family history with Sinead Holland from Laois Libraries and Tom De Vesci 7th Viscount De Vesci at Abbeyelix Library. Picture: Alf Harvey.Snapshots from De Vesci Family history with Sinead Holland from Laois Libraries and Tom De Vesci 7th Viscount De Vesci at Abbeyelix Library. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Fitzmaurice Flag presentation
Picture: Alf Harvey.Liam and John Burke and Ann Kingston at the presentation of the Fitzmaurice Flag by Ross Mac Mahon to Laois County Council during Heritage Week. Picture: Alf Harvey.Louise Fennelly, Brendan Donohoe, Ross Mac Mahon, Teddy Fennelly, Alan Phelan and Dermot Gannon with a model of the Portlaoise Plane and the USA flag at the presentation of the Fitzmaurice Flag by Ross Mac Mahon to Laois County Council during Heritage Week. Picture: Alf Harvey.Brendan Donohoe, Dermot Gannon, Ross Mac Mahon and Rachel Bourke at the presentation of the Fitzmaurice Flag by Ross Mac Mahon to Laois County Council during Heritage Week. Picture: Alf Harvey.United States Military Attaché Major Thomas Nolta; Pauric and Georgina Corscadden; Niall and Jing O’Reilly; Teddy Fennelly, Col James Fitzmaurice Commemoration committee and Elisabeth and Ross Mac Mahon at the presentation of the Fitzmaurice Flag by Ross Mac Mahon to Laois County Council during Heritage Week. Picture: Alf Harvey.United States Military Attaché Major Thomas Nolta; Cllr Willie Aird Acting Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council; Teddy Fennelly, Col James Fitzmaurice Commemoration committee and Ross Mac Mahon at the presentation of the Fitzmaurice Flag by Ross Mac Mahon to Laois County Council during Heritage Week. Picture: Alf Harvey.Picture: Alf Harvey.Cllr Willie Aird Acting Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council and Ross Mac Mahon at the presentation of the Fitzmaurice Flag by Ross Mac Mahon to Laois County Council during Heritage Week. Picture: Alf Harvey.
