ONE of the most heartening things to happen in Ireland in recent times has been the heightened awareness of the environment among children who are now leading the way and, indeed, educating their parents on such matters.

More than 1,000 cultural events have been planned to celebrate this year’s Heritage Week, it was revealed today.

THE build-up to a nationwide celebration of Ireland’s cultural and natural history began yesterday with the launch of a website containing details of more than 500 events taking place during Heritage Week.