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Conor English

For me, August has always meant one glorious thing: Heritage Week (16th-24th August). It tends to sneak in amid the chaos of summer, but once it arrives, the calendar comes alive, with free talks, behind-the-scenes tours, and endless opportunities to dive into the rich layers of our architectural and cultural history. I loved it even as a young teenager, persuading my parents to join me on visits to every historic site I could find. In hindsight, it’s clear those early adventures were the first steps toward my path into architecture.

Let’s start in Dublin, where I’ve already set a reminder for Four Dublin Churches, a talk on August 20th at 6pm by Dr. Brendan Grimes. He’ll take us through the stories behind four of the city’s 19th-century churches, each with its own architectural language, It’s hosted by Dublin City Council and is perfect for anyone who’s ever found themselves lost in a vaulted ceiling or wondering why so many church doors are red.

Also in Dublin, is Plumblines Through Time, on both August 20th and 23rd. Architect Colm Murray will guide you through the fragments of Dublin’s House of Industry and its transformation into various institutions, including St. Brendan’s Hospital in Grangegorman. It promises to be one of those walks where you start seeing hidden and somewhat darker layers of the city that were always there just waiting for someone to point them out.

Down south in Cork, things are buzzing too. On the 18th, the The City Library in Cork is hosting One City One Book: a talk by sculptor Michael Quane, a master of form and texture. The next day, August 19th, there’s a lecture on the conservation of the Firkin Crane, Cork’s iconic dance venue, which lives in a landmark round building that’s earned both love and puzzlement in equal measure by Corkonians over the years. Then on August 21st, over in Cobh, there’s a fascinating presentation uncovering the story of Cork Harbour’s Martello towers that once stood watch over the Harbour, a place steeped in maritime and architectural heritage, with more hidden layers than you’d expect.

Moving inland, Kilkenny is in festival mode. The Kilkenny Arts Festival (7th-17th August) always draws a lovely mix of the curious and the creative. Cities of the World, a panel led by architect Valerie Mulvin, exploring how cities shape us and how we, in turn, shape them – both imaginatively and practically. This follows right behind Valerie’s recent RIAI Architecture Award winning exhibition ‘The Reason of Towns’ in collaboration with the Irish Architecture Foundation.

Oh and before I forget, Cork’s Glucksman Gallery has opened its new exhibition RINN exploring the relationship between Ireland and Japan. It runs until the 2nd of November, and you’ll find a few works by Joseph Walsh in there too so you know it’s going to be exquisite, organic, sculptural and always surprising.

So, August isn’t just about the builders’ holidays, it’s a time to tumble through history, poke around in the corners of clever old buildings, and chat with the brilliant enthusiasts who know all the best stories. If you’re out and about, you might spot me, in Cork, squinting up at a gable, sketchbook in hand, muttering something like, “Who puts a window there?”, and secretly loving that they did.