‘Heritage in Action’ is the Common Knowledge Heritage Programme.

The programme includes festivals, traditional skills based courses, workshops, festivals, open days, and cultural heritage events.

People gathered around a wooden workbench outdoors, engaged in woodworking activities. Some are seated, others are standing, with tools and equipment visible. The setting appears to be a rustic or construction area, with a brick wall and ladders in the background.

Two women smiling and standing outdoors in a garden with vegetable planters and a flower bed, during a cloudy day. One woman is wearing a red jacket and a white knit hat, while the other is wearing a blue jacket and black gloves. In the background, a woman is working near a blue table with plants, and an orange tent is visible.

A group of people gathered outdoors in a street fair or festival, with buildings, tents, and a crowd in the background. The focus is on a person dressed in an elaborate costume made of dried straw or grass, resembling a scarecrow or harvest-themed outfit, speaking to others.

Group of people standing and crouching by a riverbank, observing the water, in a nature setting with trees and grass.

The aim of the programme is to increase awareness and usage of traditional skills. Additionally to create more sustainable and resilient heritage engaged communities while increasing social connection and intergenerational exchange through the sharing and promoting of traditional skills and culture.

Group of ten women outdoors holding bouquets of flowers, some women are smiling and laughing, with a green leafy background.

Two women are engaged in a conversation, one wearing a peach hijab and the other with curly gray hair. The setting appears to be an indoor space with shelves and what seems to be a music stand with sheet music.

Four women dressed in outdoor gear standing together in a garden, holding a bowl filled with colorful flowers, with plants and trees in the background on a cloudy day.

From March to November we are running heritage events including our National Heritage Week event ‘Rekindle festival of Lost Skills’ in Ennistymon, community meitheals, traditional skills workshops and courses including lime plastering, cob, stone wall building, willow weaving, heritage and biodiversity tours of the Common Knowledge site and a cultural heritage programme.

The cultural heritage programme includes traditional music concerts, ceilí and set dancing workshops and traditional singing and storytelling and lots more.

Two women with long, curly hair, one with red hair and the other with dark hair and glasses, are at a table with vibrant flower arrangements. They are looking down, possibly at the flowers, in an indoor setting with a sign in the background.

Group of people gathered around a garden bed, observing or discussing plants. Some are standing, others are bending down, with lush green plants and trees in the background.

People gathered around a table working on cross-stitch embroidery projects. The table is draped with a cloth resembling the Irish flag, with green, white, and orange sections. Several embroidery patterns and yarn are visible, and a basket of yarn balls sits on the table. In the background, a TV screen displays a landscape scene, and there are chairs and curtains in the room.

Two women sitting outdoors under a canopy, playing guitars and smiling. One woman has a violin and is wearing a black hat and denim jacket; the other is playing a guitar, wearing a brown jacket and scarf.

People gathering in an outdoor event seen through a small opening, with some seated, walking, or standing around, and some using their phones.

The aim of the programme is to increase awareness and usage of traditional skills. Additionally to create more sustainable and resilient heritage engaged communities while increasing social connection and intergenerational exchange through the sharing and promoting of traditional skills and culture.

The Programme is funded by The Heritage Council

Find out about all our Heritage in Action events here

A man wearing a checkered shirt, tan pants, and a green hat is seated on a wooden stool, working on a woodworking project at an outdoor event. Several people are standing around, with tables displaying plants and signs, and a chalkboard with the words "Common Knowledge" seen in the background.

Two women are inspecting a small upright piano keyboard.

A cluttered table with various tools such as pliers, scissors, and a rusted iron object, along with small jewelry pieces and plastic wrapping.

Event banner for REKINDLE Festival of Lost Skills, scheduled for August 15-16, 2025, at the Common Knowledge Centre and Ennistymon, Co. Clare. The banner features logos of organisers and sponsors, with a decorative illustration of a stylized orange tree or plant on the right.

Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills 2025

Rekindle is an intergenerational micro-festival of Lost Skills, with an aim to rekindle and celebrate arts and traditional skills and practices, music and culture and the people who carry them.

In 2024 the festival took place over 2 days with outdoor Ceilí Mór and Rekindle Heritage Trail which included local businesses, Lasraí - Traditional music concert, running alongside traditional skill demonstrations, our Maker's Market, live music

Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills is funded by The Heritage Council, the Arts Council and Clare County Council, Hotel Doolin, Doolin Ferry, Shannon Ferries and The Armada

For any questions or queries or you’d like to get involved in next years festival you’re most welcome to get in touch with Aoife on rekindle@ourcommonknowledge.org or on 0834425819.

Festival Location

Parliament Street, Ennistymon, V95 D79

Book your ticket and find out more here

Schedule for the Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills on August 16, 2025, featuring various workshops, events, and exhibitions in Clare County, including traditional skills, heritage activities, and local business participation.

A group of 12 people standing behind a stone wall with a sign that reads "Cottage Knowledge." They are outdoors on a cloudy day with trees and buildings in the background, dressed in casual outdoor clothing.

Four people standing outdoors holding wooden kitchen utensils and bowls, smiling at the camera with a rural landscape and cloudy sky in the background.

A person working on a stone wall, laying bricks and applying mortar, wearing work clothes covered in dust and debris.

Heritage Skills workshops and courses

The Heritage in Action programme includes a programme of traditional and heritage skills workshops. These workshops take place on 5 days course during the week or 2 days course over a weekend.

As part of the programme we will run heritage-related courses including stone wall building, lime plastering and pointing, stone carving, scything, traditional land management, earthen Building, basket weaving, food preservation and more

Check out the courses here

Two people on stage, one with short dark hair and the other with curly long hair, speaking into microphones, with colorful stage lighting and floral backdrop.

Two elderly people dressed warmly in jackets, scarves, gloves, and hats, smiling and holding mugs at an outdoor gathering among trees and other people.

A woman with short curly hair wearing glasses and earrings, dressed in purple and black, is smiling while working on a project at a table outdoors. There are papers, a black thermos, and a basket on the table, with other people and greenery in the background.

Four people at an outdoor apple cider pressing station, with a green apple-themed cart, in a wooded area. They are dressed in casual jackets, are participating, with one woman pressing apples through a manual press.

Cultural and Heritage Events

Our cultural programme platforms stories and skills of those engaged in traditional and heritage practices, drawing from the local musical, film and storytelling talent and invited guests from beyond.

Previous events have included Irish Palestinian Cultural events, Pluirin na mban Tradtional music performance, traditional singing sessions, set dancing workshops and céili’s.

Check out all our events here

Two young people working together on a woodworking project in a workshop, one holding a saw and the other inspecting a piece of wood.

A group of people gathered inside a small polytunnell, surrounded by lush green plants, during daytime.

A person holding a yellow flower and a small black pot, with another person standing nearby wearing a gray shirt with red stripes.

Meitheals, open days and community days

From March to November, we are running a series of meitheals, open days and community days that are free and open to all, with an aim to build awareness and practice of heritage skills like lime washing, lime plastering, invasive species management, traditional food preservation, scything, bat box making, whilst forming community.

To find out more about our meitheals, open days and community days please contact aoife@ourcommonknowledge.org

Project Coordinator

Aoife Hammond

Aoife Hammond is a musician, programmer and producer and community facilitator. They have spent over 15 years working in the social enterprise and community and cultural sectors in Ireland most recently co-founding Fulacht Fia Café – a community café in County Leitrim and previously as manager of The Dublin Food Coop in Dublin 8. Aoife also works as a musician, community activist and independent events organiser, facilitating and promoting events in solidarity with grassroots organisations.
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