Cultural Resources
Donegal County Council - Cultural Services
The Cultural Services Division provides services across three broad areas: Libraries, Arts and Heritage
The Council operates specialised sections as follows: Libraries, County Arts Service, Public Art, Regional Cultural Centre, County Museum, and the County Archives. The local authority also operates the County Donegal Heritage Office and the Donegal Film Office.
The provision of Cultural Services is a key area of activity for Donegal County Council. One of the core values of the Council - is to protect, sustain and promote Donegal’s unique heritage and culture, with a particular focus on the Gaeltacht area of the County.
See each section below for further details.
www.donegallibrary.ie/culturalservices
A wide range of public Library Services are delivered in County Donegal through a network of libraries, from Carndonagh in the north to Bundoran in the south, and from An Clochán Liath / Dungloe in the west to Lifford in the east.
The Library service offers a wide and varied range of books for lending to children and adults, and a range of videos, CDs, talking books and multi-media stock in the larger service points, especially at Central Library in Letterkenny.
In addition to the lending service the Library also offers; Children's Services; Internet / e-Library Services; Reference & Information Services; Donegal Studies including books and articles of Donegal interest, local newspapers, maps, family history etc.; Sound & Vision: Audio-Visual Resources and a range of events and activities.
Donegal County Council Arts Office
The County Arts Office delivers a county wide programme of cultural events, including the Earagail Arts Festival, the Donegal Bay and Bluestacks Festival and Culture Night in Letterkenny. The office also provides funding and support for arts and cultural organisations within the county.
Further information contact the Arts Officer, Traolach Ó Fionnáin:
E-mail: traolach@donegalcoco.ie
Donegal Film Office/ Oifig Scannán Dhún na nGall
The Film Office’s role is to add benefit to the County by promoting and marketing the region and also through fostering and developing the Creative Economy. The Donegal Film Office ensures that the county can compete for film business. It also acts as a focal point and as a resource for the development of indigenous activity in this sector. The Donegal Film Office is operated by Donegal County Council.
Contact: aideen.doherty@donegalcoco.ie
Donegal County Council Public Art Office
This Public Art office manages the Public Art Programme for Donegal County Council utilising the Per Cent for Art Scheme budgets which allows 1% of the construction cost of all capital programmes (up to a maximum of €64,000) to be set aside for a Public Art project. The position requires delivery in three key areas of Strategy and Policy Development, Project Management and Public Engagement.
For further information: traolach@donegalcoco.ie
High Road, Letterkenny
Donegal County Museum is based in an old stone building, which was once part of the Letterkenny Workhouse. The Museum houses a fascinating range of artefacts covering all aspects of life in Donegal. The first floor exhibition charts the history of Donegal from the Stone Age to the twentieth century. A series of temporary exhibitions and an associated events programme are held in the Museum throughout the year. The Museum has a number of touring exhibitions on a variety of themes that are available to travel to other venues.
For children and families there is the specially designed Donegal Museum Detectives backpack to borrow free of charge on arrival at the Museum. The backpack contains an assortment of activities designed to engage children with the museum exhibits.
Visitors can also view the North West Film Archive and the Donegal Islands Film and Radio Archive in the Museum. These unique digital archives contain 130 hours of film, television and radio material.
Further information: Telephone: +353 (0)74 9124613
Email: museum@donegalcoco.ie
Open to the public: Monday-Friday 10.00am to 4.30pm, Saturday 1.00- 4.30pm.
Donegal County Council: Archives service
Archives Service, Donegal County Council, Three Rivers Centre, Lifford, County Donegal
Donegal County Council holds one of the most extensive local authority archive collections in the country, including archives of both public and private origin. The archives contain the most important records pertaining to the county and include both public and private material. They are a huge resource for the county.
Further information: www.donegalcoco.ie/culture/archives
County Donegal Heritage Office
Donegal County Council is committed to “placing heritage at the heart of public life” in County Donegal. The main aspects of the role of Heritage Officer are to:
- raise awareness of County Donegal’s built, cultural and natural heritage,
- provide advice and information to members of the public, Donegal County Council and its staff on heritage matters,
- propose heritage policy to Donegal County Council,
- collect data and conduct research on aspects of County Donegal’s heritage,
- promote best practice in relation to heritage matters,
- prepare and implement the County Donegal Heritage Plan in conjunction with the County Donegal Heritage Forum, and
- implement the 'Cultural Connections' Strategic Plan in partnership with colleagues in Cultural Services.
Further information can be obtained at: www.donegalcoco.ie/culture/heritage
Bunaíodh Údaras na Gaeltachta sa bhliain 1980. Tá an ghníomhaireacht Stáit seo freagrach as forbairt eacnamaíochta, shóisialta agus chultúrtha na Gaeltachta. Is é caomhnú agus neartú na Gaeilge mar theanga bheo le cois í a thabhairt don chéad ghlúin eile, an bunchuspóir atá le polasaí Údarás na Gaeltachta. Déanann an tÚdarás achan iarracht an cuspóir seo a bhaint amach trí fhorbairt fiontraíochta agus tionscnaimh chruthaithe fostaíochta a chothú agus a mhaoiniú, chomh maith le tacaíocht a thabhairt d’imeachtaí pobail, cultúrtha agus teangabhunaithe.
Tuilleadh eolais: www.udaras.ie
Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Gaoth Dobhair
Déantar maoirseacht sa Roinn ar chaomhnú, buanchoimeád, cosaint agus cur i láthair shócmhainní oidhreachta agus cultúrtha na hÉireann. Is í an Roinn seo atá freagrach as an nGaeilge a chur chun cinn agus tacaíocht a thabhairt don Ghaeltacht chomh maith. Is iad seo a leanas roinnt de na príomhfheidhmeanna as a bhfuil sí freagrach:
- Na hEalaíona, Cultúr, Scannánaíocht agus Ceol, chomh maith le maoirseacht ar institiúidí cultúrtha na hÉireann;
- Oidhreacht Thógtha agus Nádúrtha na hÉireann;
- An Ghaeilge, an Ghaeltacht agus na hOileáin; agus
- Comhoibriú Thuaidh/Theas a mhéid a bhaineann sé le hUiscebhealaí Éireann, an Foras Teanga agus feidhmeanna níos leithne na Roinne.
The Department oversees the conservation, preservation, protection and presentation of Ireland's heritage and cultural assets. The Department also seeks to promote the Irish language and to support the Gaeltacht. The key functions under its remit include:
- Arts, Culture, Film and Music, as well as oversight of Ireland's cultural institutions;
- Ireland's Built and Natural Heritage;
- The Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands; and
- North/South Co-operation insofar as it relates to Waterways Ireland, An Foras Teanga and the wider functions of the Department.
Further information: www.ahg.gov.ie
Is comhfhiontar idir An Chomhairle Ealaíon agus Údarás na Gaeltachta is ea Ealaín na Gaeltachta Teo. Is í cuspóir na heagraíochta forbairt a dhéanamh ar na healaíona dúchasacha agus comhaimseartha sa Ghaeltacht. Tá oifigeach ealaíona ag an eagraíocht i nDún na nGall.
Ealaín na Gaeltachta Teo.,was set up to implement an arts plan for the Gaeltacht and to assist and encourage artists and arts organisations to develop arts projects and to further their careers. It is a joint venture between Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council of Ireland.
Further Information: www.ealain.ie
Donegal Music Education Partnership (Education & Training Board)
Donegal Music Education Partnership provides vocal and instrumental tuition in a range of centres across County Donegal covering music from various genres including classical, traditional, jazz and contemporary/rock music. The service is aimed primarily at children and young people, however tuition is also available to adults.The organisation is also involved in the organisation of the following musical groups:
Donegal Youth Orchestra, Children’s String Orchestra, Donegal Chamber Orchestra, Donegal Youth Choir, Donegal Junior Choirs, Errigal Groove Orchestra, Junior Concert Band, First Blow, Errigal Singers, and Inishowen Musicians Collective.
For further information: www.dmep.ie
Fáilte Ireland, Neil T. Blaney Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Fáilte Ireland is the National Tourism Development Authority. Its role is to support the tourism industry and work to sustain Ireland as a high-quality and competitive tourism destination. It provides a range of practical business supports to help tourism businesses better manage and market their products and services.
It provides enterprise supports to cultural, heritage and arts providers as well as offering a promotional platform through the www.discoverireland.ie website.
Further Information at: www.discoverireland.ie
List of links
Cultural Resources in Donegal
- Donegal County Council - Cultural Services
- Library services
- County Arts
- Donegal Film Office/ Oifig Scannán Dhún na nGall
- Public Art
- Donegal County Museum
- Archives service
- County Donegal Heritage Offic
- Údarás na Gaeltachta
- Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta / Department of Arts,
- Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Ealaín na Gaeltachta
- Donegal Music Education Partnership (Education & Training Board)
- Fáilte Ireland
