Galway County Council

FREE COOLE ARTS AND HERITAGE EVENTS FOR SPRING 2010  

www.coolepark.ie

The Coole Park Cultural Programme aims to provide a series of high quality multi-disciplinary arts and heritage events to as wide and inclusive local audience as possible in a site that has national and international cultural status.  The programme events in Spring and Winter yearly, endeavour to showcase locally based artists and lectures on locally based topics.  The programme was initiated in 2005 on a pilot basis and its success to date is largely due to the strong partnership of agencies and active community involvement in its organisation, delivery and support.

This year also a Certificate in Local History will be delivered as an outreach programme at Coole Park Visitor Centre.  The programme will run from October 2009 until March/April 2010.  This course will be delivered by the Department of History, NUI Maynooth.  The course aims to provide participants interested in local history with an opportunity to obtain formal training in the subject matter.  This project is being part funded by Galway Rural Development under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.  The fact that NUI Maynooth approved Coole Park Visitor Centre to deliver their outreach programme stresses the importance of having such a facility locally from the education and cultural perspective as it serves as a focus for the area.  Applicants have already been recruited for this course. 

The haven that is Coole Park Reserve, on the doorstep of Gort serves both Galway and Clare and it is a marvelous educational facility for both children and adults.     

Admission to all events at Coole is FREE, a bonus surely in these times.  All are invited to come along to the events.  NPWS staff and the Friends of Coole would be delighted to see you there.