Centre for Cross Border Cooperation

09/06/2026

🌍 Exciting news! A new cross-border UNESCO network, UNESCO Together, will connect UNESCO-designated sites across the island of Ireland, bringing communities together through shared heritage, culture, education and environmental action.

Led by Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark and supported through PEACEPLUS, this initiative will strengthen cooperation between UNESCO Global Geoparks, Biosphere Reserves, World Heritage Sites and Creative Cities, creating new opportunities for young people, communities and organisations to work together across borders. https://mournegullionstrangfordgeopark.com/news/new-cross-border-unesco-network-will-connect-heritage-sites-across-ireland/

UNESCO Sites on the Island of Ireland

World Heritage Sites:
Brú na Bóinne (Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne): in County Meath.
Sceilg Mhichíl (Skellig Michael): in County Kerry.
Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast: in County Antrim.
Gracehill Moravian Church Settlement: in County Antrim

Global Geoparks:
Copper Coast Geopark: in County Waterford.
Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark: in County Clare.
Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark: in Counties Cavan and Fermanagh.
Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark: in Counties Armagh and Down.
Joyce Country and Western Lakelands Geopark: in Counties Galway and Mayo

Biosphere Reserves:
Dublin Bay Biosphere: in County Dublin
Kerry Biosphere: in County Kerry

Creative Cities:
Belfast: (City of Music): in Counties Antrim and Down
Dublin: (City of Literature): in County Dublin
Galway: (City of Film): in County Galway

UNESCO Sites
Antrim Geopark
Historic Astronomical Observatories of Ireland
Transatlantic Cable Ensemble
Passage Tomb Landscape of County Sligo
Royal Sites of Ireland
Binevenagh Biosphere

09/06/2026

Our 2026 BROCHURE is now available to view on the JHS website! 🔥

https://johnhewittsociety.org/

05/06/2026

Step into the story of one of Fermanagh’s most remarkable women…

Join us at Castle Coole on Saturday 27 June for a special talk exploring the life and legacy of Lady Dorothy Lowry-Corry, a pioneering archaeologist who dedicated her life to protecting heritage across Ireland.

Born at Castle Coole, Lady Dorothy went on to champion the preservation of sites from prehistoric monuments to medieval churches, leaving a lasting impact on how we understand our past.

Hear her story brought to life by Dr Kieran O’Conor of the University of Galway, followed by a guided tour of Castle Coole itself.

🗓 Saturday 27 June
🕥 10:15am – 12:15pm
📍 Location: Castle Coole, Enniskillen

Places are limited so please pick your place at this weblink: https://www.enniskillencastle.co.uk/event/lady-dorothy-lowry-corry-talk-at-castle-coole/

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Established in 1985, CO3 has 40 years of experience developing and connecting leaders across the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

Today, it represents a network of more than 860 chief executives, senior leaders and trustees, all committed to delivering meaningful impact in their communities.

At its heart, CO3 focuses on three things: connection, development and influence.

Leadership in the third sector is both rewarding and demanding.

CO3 recognises this and provides practical, relevant support shaped by the real experiences of its members.

Through leadership development programmes, mentoring, governance guidance and networking opportunities, CO3 helps leaders build confidence and capability at every stage of their journey.

These are grounded in the day-to-day realities of leading organisations in a challenging environment.

Peer connection is a vital part of this approach.

By bringing leaders together, CO3 creates space for honest conversations, shared learning and mutual support.

As its values emphasise, collaboration strengthens both individuals and the sector as a whole.

Alongside this core offer, CO3 operates two complementary initiatives: Engage Executive Talent, providing specialist executive recruitment and consultancy services tailored to the third sector, and the Northern Ireland Health Collective, which brings together organisations working across health and social care to strengthen collaboration and influence.

Together, these form part of CO3's wider commitment to supporting leadership and organisational effectiveness across the sector.

Read the full profile at https://crossborder.ie/news/new-common-charter-supporter-profile-co3-chief-officers-third-sector/

The New Common Charter for Cooperation aims to empower civic society to drive cooperation, North-South and East-West, by
✅ increasing opportunities to share information, knowledge of policy and best-practice within and across these islands
✅ improving policy-making by matching it to realities on the ground
✅ identifying cross-border opportunities to collaborate to solve shared problems or exploit common resources
✅ engaging with and supporting human rights, particularly for the most isolated and marginalised in our communities, and
✅ facilitating the exploration and celebration of a community’s culture and heritage with a view to future cooperation.

Get support for your group at https://crossborder.ie/what-we-do/projects/new-common-charter/

Photographs: courtesy of https://co3.org.uk/

05/06/2026

03/06/2026

• What is the scope of the options school leavers initially consider in terms of where they will go once they leave school?

• What influences their final choice, particularly if it involves going to the other jurisdiction on the island of Ireland or elsewhere, whether that be continuing into further or higher education, vocational training, an apprenticeship or entering directly into employment?

• Does it matter to employers where school leavers go to begin their talent journey?

Just some of the issues our 'creating talent' panellists will discuss on 17 September at the CCBC 2026 Annual Conference.

https://crossborder.ie/conferences/2026-annual-conference/

Share this page:  The conference will take place on Thursday 17 September in Dundalk and the theme is “Creating, strengthening and retaining talent on the island of Ireland: Cross-border push and pull factors“. The conference will focus on the factors that persuade or discourage individuals on ...

03/06/2026

This week we welcomed several media people as part of the 2026 Spanish Market Programme, a joint initiative with Tourism Northern Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

The literary itinerary celebrated the three hundredth anniversary of the publication of Gulliver's Travels. It is good to know that interest is growing for this special anniversary!

03/06/2026

The National Library of Ireland was delighted to welcome colleagues from the British Library recently for a fantastic afternoon of conversation and exchange of ideas.

📷 Pictured (L–R) are Stella Wisdom, Head of Contemporary British and Irish Publications, and Ian Cooke, Head of Contemporary British Collections, from the British Library with our colleague Dr Robert Whan, Head of Service Delivery at the National Library of Ireland.

Later that same afternoon, we were also pleased to welcome Amina Shah, Director of National Library of Scotland. It was a vibrant afternoon of discussions with our nearest neighbours, sharing insights on collections, services, and the future of libraries.

We greatly value these opportunities for collaboration and exchange across our national library communities.

02/06/2026