dlr Heritage Office

The Heritage Office

The dlr Heritage Office provides information and guidance on the natural, built and cultural heritage of the County. We support heritage education, events and activities and in so doing, aim to increase awareness, connections and enjoyment of the County's heritage for all. The office undertakes research on aspects of the County’s heritage to enable better understanding and help guide policy and projects. The Heritage Office’s work is guided by the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Heritage Plan. The Heritage Council supports the Heritage Officer post in dlr and in addition, provides support for the delivery of the County Heritage Plan actions. Many of these actions are profiled during National Heritage Week each August which the Heritage Council and heritage teams co-ordinate. 

What is Heritage?

We like to define heritage as all aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time.

In the 1995 Heritage Act, heritage is defined as including; monuments, archaeological objects, heritage objects, architectural heritage, flora, fauna, wildlife habitats, landscapes, seascapes, wrecks, geology, heritage gardens and parks and inland waterways. Heritage can be tangible or intangible and can include music and songs, literature, crafts and traditions, language, sports and leisure. It is core to our individual and community wellbeing and takes on new meanings and values in each generation.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Heritage Officer

The role of the Heritage Officer is to
• Develop and deliver the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Heritage Plan 2021-2025
• Work with groups and individuals to help plan and deliver heritage related projects
• Collect data and commission research on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown's heritage
• Provide information and advice on heritage issues
• Promote heritage education, activities and events

Find out more about the National Heritage Officer programme here

Ceangal

Ceangal is the Local Authority Heritage Programme which includes Heritage Officers, Biodiversity Officers and from 2026 Archivists and Architectural Conservation Officers working in Local Authorities across the country. Ceangal is delivered in partnership between the Heritage Council and Local Government Ireland. Ceangal—the Irish word for ‘connection’ or ‘tie’—supports the goal of increasing awareness of our shared objectives. Ceangal is designed to create a cohesive visual link between the work of local authorities in the heritage sector and the support provided by the Heritage Council through programmes for heritage officers, biodiversity officers, archivists, and architectural conservation officers.