Heritage Council competition asks children to showcase local heritage through lego

The Heritage Council is calling on children across the country to put their imagination to good use this summer by using lego bricks to recreate their favourite example of Irish built, natural or cultural heritage.

The competition is open to children aged between four and twelve years, with two age categories: 4 to 7 years, and 8 to 12 years.

To enter, children will need to build their model, choose their category, write a short description of what their model represents and why it’s important to them, and then take a photo of the model to submit via the Heritage Council website.

The Heritage Council plans to feature as many entries as it can on its website and Facebook page.

To provide some inspiration and guidance, lego brick artist, Jessica Farrell will build a sample model every week and will post the step-by-step plan on the Heritage Council Facebook page.

The sample models will include: a traditional thatch cottage; a High Cross, a dolmen, a red fox, hedgehog, native Irish honeybee with flower, a Celtic interlace pattern and a Galway Hooker boat.

"We have seen over the past number of months the important role that heritage has played in people’s lives in Ireland and we think that this fun competition will give children the opportunity to really think about their local heritage, to examine it in detail, and to recreate what they see through the power of lego," said Heritage Council chief executive, Virginia Teehan.

"In terms of entries, we’re looking for anything from Irish landscapes, to round towers, to castles, to waterways, to Ireland’s wildlife – the possibilities are endless."

The closing date for entries is Sunday, August 30, with prizes of lego DK books for the winners of each of the 4-7-year-old categories, and a lego kit for the winners of the older categories.

Visit the Heritage Council website, www.heritagecouncil.ie or the Heritage Council Facebook page for the competition rules and further details.