The Heritage Council is encouraging the Irish public to get behind Roscommon man and founder of the Irish National Famine Museum & Archive, Jim Callery, and vote for him in a prestigious award.
Jim was recently announced as winner in the 2017 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards in the category of dedicated service to heritage. This is Europe’s top honour in the heritage field.
Independent expert juries examined a total of 202 applications, submitted by organisations and individuals from 39 countries across Europe. In total 29 winners from 18 countries were chosen for their notable achievements in conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and awareness-raising. From the winners, seven Grand Prix winners and the Public Choice Award winner will be announced at a ceremony in Turku on May 15th.
In urging people to vote Michael Starrett, Heritage Council CEO said,
“this award is a fantastic achievement for Jim Callery and all those who have worked with him to restore and establish the Irish National Famine Museum and Archive. To receive this recognition, particularly on a European scale, is testament to the personal dedication of Jim to Strokestown and Co. Roscommon.
The Heritage Council has a long record of support for Strokestown House, most recently through its support for the online ‘Strokestown Park Learning Zone’, that finds creative ways to connect the curriculum to the site providing a rich learning experience for students. I would encourage all those from Roscommon and further afield to get behind Jim and vote for him in the Public Choice Award”.
You can vote online (http://vote.europanostra.org/) for Jim Callery in the Public Choice Award. Voters have the chance to win a trip for two to Finland and be a special guest at the Awards Ceremony.
The winners of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2017 will be celebrated at an event co-hosted by EU Commissioner Navracsics and Maestro Plácido Domingo on 15 May at St. Michael’s Church in Turku. The European Heritage Awards Ceremony will be attended by 1,200 people, including heritage professionals, volunteers and supporters from all over Europe as well as top-level representatives from EU institutions, the host country and other Member States.