Corrib Beo is hosting a series of lunchtime talks in collaboration with Galway City Museum that will explore lesser-known aspects of Lough Corrib’s rich heritage.

The initial series of eight talks, which begin next Wednesday, January 29, will explore the lake’s natural, cultural and built heritage.

The talks are designed to create greater public awareness of these cultural gems in order to stimulate debate and inspire people to cherish and conserve them. The organisers in Corrib Beo also hope the eight-week series will also help identify potential challenges and opportunities that will help enhance the Corrib’s rich and diverse heritage.

Author and historian, William Henry will deliver the first talk, when he will discuss fascinating discoveries he made while researching for his upcoming book on the legacy of 10,000 years of human habitation on the Corrib.

The second talk, by archaeologist Paul Naessens, is on February 26 and the title is The hidden archaeology of Lough Corrib. He will speak  on the relatively inaccessible 11th Century pre-Norman Gaelic stone fortress on Iniscremha Island on the lake.

The series will also cover aspects of the lake’s natural history and its Geopark (where UNESCO World Heritage status is pending), its fisheries and 19th Century Icehouse, as well as its catchment energy and recreational potential, its 4,000-year-old log boat heritage and its many Norman and Viking artefacts.

There will also be a focus on the national and international importance of Lough Corrib’s monastic era and its 31 monastic settlements.

These talks are organised by Corrib Beo in collaboration with Galway City Museum. Corrib Beo was established in 2019 to focus on Ireland’s second-largest lake and its catchment area, and create a new appreciation for its importance. Working with the Local Authorities Water Programme and groups around the lake, Corrib Beo has developed a comprehensive programme of heritage, educational, environmental and recreational activities, as it aims to establish effective structures to help protect and restore this crucial body of water.

■ Further details are available from Corrib Beo’s website: corribbeo.org/museum2025/ and at galwaycitymuseum.ie.

Pictured: Lough Corrib: A gem that needs minding. PHOTO: JESS WALSH.