'Our Wicklow Heritage' website continues to expand

If RootsIreland.ie's big bundle of newly transcribed records from County Wicklow got you worked up into a lather last week – it had that effect on me – you'll be interested in these two additional items of news from genealogist Catherine Wright, Wicklow County Council's archivist and manager of the Wicklow Family History Centre.

First up is Our Wicklow Heritage, an online initiative to share and promote the collections and activities of Wicklow County Council's heritage office, archives and library services. Since its launch five or so years ago, it has not only proved popular, it's also grown enormously. It now includes five more community based heritage recording groups. They are:

• Delgany Heritage Village
• Donard Imaal History
• Glendalough Heritage Forum
• Glens of Lead
• The Medieval Bray Project

The topics covered are wide, from the mining heritage of the county to natural heritage and biodiversity, from historical events and personalities to folklore and customs. There are online copies of journals produced by some of the local historical societies, heritage maps, book reviews, genealogy guides & links, and much more. For anyone with County Wicklow connections, I wholeheartedly recommend bookmarking the site and dipping in regularly. You might like to contribute to it, too!

You'll also want to listen to a History Ireland Hedge School podcast that's being made available from Saturday 6 June to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Henry Grattan. The leader of the Independent Irish Parliament of 1783-1800 lived near Enniskerry, Co Wicklow for most of his life and the Hedge School panel of historians will explore his often misunderstood legacy.

The Hedge School is presented by Wicklow County Archives, Bray Cualann Historical Society and History Ireland magazine. Find out more here.