Event: WEDS TALKS: Irish Heritage School: Providing a Pathway for the Community to their Medieval Ancestry

ABSTRACT: Over several field seasons, the Irish Heritage School has taught students crucial field skills they will use in their postgraduate careers, such as photogrammetry, surveying, and excavation, while also working toward the larger project of building a heritage trail for the city of Birr, Co. Offaly. This walking trail travels throughout the city, connecting each of the town’s medieval landmarks, allowing the public to view these elaborate sites, learn more about their ancestry, and promote tourism in the Irish Midlands. Cultural sites including St. Brendan’s Monastery, Birr Castle, and Clonoghil Castle are rich in archaeology and contribute to the greater knowledge of Ireland’s medieval history.

BIO: Natalie Sellers is a senior undergraduate student at UCLA pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. Her interests include community archaeology, repatriation, education, religion, and settlement patterns.