Ports, Past and Present

The Irish Sea basin forms a distinct node of histories, economies, and identities. The Ports, Past and Present project considers five very different ports and their communities on either side of the sea: Dublin Port, Rosslare Harbour, Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock. Project partners are University College Cork, Aberystwyth University, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and Wexford County Council. The project seeks to enhance engagement among port town communities with their own rich heritage and that of the Irish Sea, and to use that heritage in promoting tourism and deepening a sense of shared identity. This is being done through the co-production, with communities, of online heritage stories (over 200 and counting), high-quality documentary films, 12 creative commissions, community-focused events, tourism networks including free heritage tourism training, and a heritage tourism app. Funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Co-operation Programme.