Community in Offaly celebrates Heritage Week with two major events

Clara is to host two major events during Heritage Week

Clara Heritage Society invites visitors from across the Midlands and beyond to experience two exceptional events during National Heritage Week 2026, showcasing the town's unique industrial, environmental and cultural heritage under this year's important theme, "Heritage at Risk."

Heritage is much more than historic buildings. It encompasses our landscapes, waterways, traditions, music, stories and the memories that connect generations, and the towns and villages along the banks of the River Brosna . Many of these treasures are increasingly vulnerable through neglect, changing lifestyles and the passage of time, making this year's Heritage Week theme especially significant for Clara.

The celebrations begin on Saturday, 15th August, with the Clara Industrial Heritage Route, supported by the Industrial Heritage Conservation Network, consists of a guided journey through one of Ireland's most important industrial heritage towns. Visitors will discover the remarkable story of Clara's Quaker industrialists, the Goodbody family, whose vision transformed the town into one of Ireland's leading manufacturing centres during the nineteenth century.

The route is also the exact line that the world’s first commercial telegram was sent by Marconi, whose innovation was primarily funded by the Goodbody Family. The route explores Clara's historic streetscape, the former jute & flower mills, workers' housing, the River Brosna, and the many surviving features that tell the story of a once thriving industrial community.

The second major event takes place on Saturday, 22nd August in The Old Bank, this cross-community event, the Brosna River Literary & Music Festival will celebrate the River Brosna as the lifeblood of many local communities. Through literature, poetry, storytelling and music, the festival will explore how the river has inspired generations of writers, musicians, and story tellers. This event will celebrate Carol Nelson’s music the Brosna Suite and is part of the “Brosna River Relay Initiative”

Together, these events demonstrate that heritage is not confined to museums or monuments. It lives within our rivers, our landscapes, our music, our traditions and the stories handed down through generations. Protecting these living traditions is equally as important as preserving our historic buildings.

Heritage Week offers an opportunity to look back with pride and look forward with responsibility. Every restored building, every preserved archive, every traditional tune, every local story and every protected stretch of river contribute to safeguarding our shared heritage for future generations.

Everyone is warmly invited to join these celebrations and discover why Clara continues to be one of Ireland's most remarkable heritage towns.

Come and celebrate Clara's past, enjoy its living traditions, and help ensure that our precious heritage is protected for generations yet to come.