Exploring the Heritage of Ireland and Wales' Port Communities - Wavehill - Social & Economic Research Throughout The UK

Wavehill worked with University College Cork to evaluate the Ports, Past and Present Programme, a €3.2 million Ireland-Wales initiative exploring how shared maritime heritage could support tourism, community engagement and economic development across five port communities: Dublin Port, Rosslare, Fishguard, Holyhead and Pembroke Dock.

Wavehill worked with University College Cork to evaluate the Ports, Past and Present Programme, a €3.2 million Ireland-Wales initiative exploring how shared maritime heritage could support tourism, community engagement and economic development across five port communities: Dublin Port, Rosslare, Fishguard, Holyhead and Pembroke Dock. The programme brought together universities, local authorities, communities and businesses to uncover, celebrate and promote the rich heritage of the Irish Sea

Approach

We delivered an independent mixed-methods evaluation, combining stakeholder interviews, surveys, programme monitoring data and documentary review. Our work drew on evidence from stakeholders across five port communities in Wales and Ireland, including 69 follow-up survey responses, alongside analysis of programme outputs, events and digital engagement data

Impact

The programme delivered 90 events and activities, engaging more than 14,800 participants and audience members across five port communities in Wales and Ireland.
More than 200 heritage stories were collected and shared, helping preserve local knowledge and strengthen understanding of the shared maritime history of Irish Sea communities
Stakeholders highlighted the value of the programme in strengthening relationships between heritage organisations, communities and tourism partners, creating new connections that extended beyond the funded period. Heritage was increasingly viewed as an economic asset as well as a cultural one, with partners identifying opportunities to use local stories, assets and experiences to support tourism development and place promotion.

Our evaluation provided evidence on how heritage investment can support community engagement, place identity and destination development, helping partners shape future activity and legacy planning across the Irish Sea region.

The report is available to read here.