UNESCO Together

Connecting communities and heritage across the island of Ireland

UNESCO Together is a cross-border initiative that brings UNESCO-designated sites and their communities together across the island of Ireland. It connects World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Global Geoparks, Biosphere Reserves and Creative Cities through shared culture, learning and environmental action.

The project responds to a clear challenge: while these places share international recognition and common values, there has been no single, community-focused network connecting them at an all-island level. UNESCO Together creates that connection through people, place and shared experience.

A community-led UNESCO network

UNESCO Together is built on a simple idea — that meaningful connections between people can be created through shared heritage, landscapes and culture.

The project brings together communities from across the island through a programme of co-designed activities, including workshops, exchanges, creative projects and local events. These activities are designed to: Build relationships across borders and communities; Encourage dialogue and shared understanding; Support participation from underrepresented groups, and; Strengthen connections between people and place

This approach reflects the core values of UNESCO, using culture, education and heritage as a platform for cooperation and understanding.

What the project delivers

Over a two-year period, UNESCO Together will deliver a structured programme of engagement across UNESCO sites, including: Cross-border workshops bringing people together for shared learning and dialogue; Community events hosted within UNESCO-designated landscapes; Youth exchanges supporting leadership, confidence and connection; Online workshops to ensure accessibility and inclusion, and; Creative outputs celebrating shared cultural heritage

In total, the project will involve hundreds of participants across multiple sites, building lasting relationships and shared experiences.

Who is involved

The project is led by Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark, in partnership with Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark, and brings together all of the UNESCO sites across the island of Ireland.

These include four World Heritage Sites, five Global Geoparks, two Biosphere Reserves and three Creative Cities, creating a diverse and collaborative network rooted in place.

UNESCO Sites on the Island of Ireland

UNESCO 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

UNESCO 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 Lakes Geopark: in Counties Galway and Mayo

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves:

• Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve: in County Dublin
• Kerry Biosphere Reserve: in County Kerry

UNESCO 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

Tentative UNESCO Sites

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

Why it matters

Across the island of Ireland, many communities continue to experience division, isolation or limited opportunities for meaningful cross-border engagement. At the same time, UNESCO-designated landscapes face shared environmental challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss.

UNESCO Together addresses these challenges by:

• Creating opportunities for people to meet, collaborate and learn from one another
• Building trust and understanding through shared cultural and environmental activity
• Supporting communities to become active stewards of their landscapes
• Strengthening cooperation between UNESCO sites

By connecting people through heritage and place, the project contributes to long-term reconciliation, environmental awareness and community resilience.

Legacy and long-term impact

UNESCO Together is designed to create a lasting legacy beyond the project itself.

It will establish a connected, grassroots UNESCO network across the island of Ireland, supported by shared learning, partnerships and a long-term roadmap for collaboration.

The relationships, knowledge and creative outputs developed through the project will continue to support communities, educators and organisations, ensuring that cooperation and connection continue to grow.

Part of a wider Geopark approach

UNESCO Together forms part of the wider work of Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark, which connects people, place and heritage through education, partnership and community engagement.

Funding

This project is supported by the PEACEPLUS Change Maker Funding Programme, which invests in people-to-people initiatives that strengthen cross-community and cross-border relationships and build more peaceful, connected communities.

Sustainable Development Goals

UNESCO Global Geoparks contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals helping to transform our world for the better.

This project contributes through these SDG:

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