Posted 16/12/2015

Join Rua on a Heritage tour of Co. Kildare!

A fun way to learn about some of Co. Kildare's heritage sites has just been launched by Kildare County Council's heritage officer.

Rua, the library reading champion, has been on a tour of some of our county's historic sites, including impressive stately homes, churches, round towers, high crosses, courthouses, and even a folly or two. A folly? If you are wondering what a folly is, maybe you can discover with Rua!

He's also been cycling along beautiful canal side paths and  visited Ireland's oldest tree, right here in Co.Kildare! Oh, and he's even discovered a Viking grave!

You are invited to colour in the wonderful drawings of his adventure and learn a little about the history of the sites he visited at the same time. You are also encouraged to go on a historic tour and visit these sites. You can even bring along Rua himself and capture the fun with a collection of selfies along the way!  

 

Rua is available for your tour at your local community library branch. Use your library card to borrow him for your tour! Take a selfie of you and Rua at each of the heritage sites you visit with him. There is a draw in September 2016 for your selfies taken with Rua at the heritage sites.

If September seems a long way away... and you can't wait, you can send in a copy of your coloured in drawings of Rua every month in 2016. Each month there will be a draw, and if you are lucky, you could Win!

And remember, Rua didn't get to visit all of Co.Kildare's heritage sites... maybe you can find even more historic sites to visit?

List the sites Rua visited.

     Wonderful Barn
    Silken Thomas Tree and St Particks college
    Naas Court House
    Pollardstown Fen
    Viking Hogback grave
    Old Kilcullen
    Conolly Folly
    Maynooth Castle
    Kildare Cathedral and Round Tower
    Grey Abbey
    Court House Athy
    Moat of Ardscull
    Oughterard Graveyard
    Donadea Forest Park
    River Liffey & Newbridge College
    Donnelly's Hollow
    Moone High Cross
    Whites Castle and Crom abu bridge
    Castletown House
    Abbey Bridge & Grand canal
    Grand Canal and Lifting bridge
    Curragh Military Cemetery
    St James Church of Ireland

About

Supported by The Heritage Council & Kildare County Council
  • Supported by The Heritage Council & Kildare County Council

The colouring book was carried out as part of the implementation of the County Kildare Heritage Plan with funding from the Heritage Council.

“We hope the colouring book will encourage children and their parents to view these heritage sites in a different way, to get excited about Kildare’s Heritage and by engaging in the two draws to visit some of the sites during the year” explained Bridget Loughlin, County Kildare Heritage Officer.

Two draws during 2016 are centred around the colouring book. Each month children are encouraged to send in copies of their pictures to the Heritage Office to be entered into a draw. The second draw, organised with the Kildare Library Services, encourages children to borrow a small Rua from their local library and to take him on a tour around the sites featured in the colouring book taking “selfies” as they go. The pictures can then be sent into KCC Heritage Office for a draw in September 2016. 

The cartoons were drawn by Doodlemoose Designs and the photos on which the cartoons are based were taken by Deaglan de Paor.

The colouring book will be available from KCC offices (Planning Dept) and all KCC libraries.

You can download the drawings to print below

 

http://kildare.ie/countycouncil/heritage/ColourinKildareHeritage-Ournewcolouringbook/index.html