Next Talk: Thursday 27 November at 7.30pm. The Moravian Village of Gracehill and the Journey to UNESCO World Heritage Status

The final talk of 2025 will be held in Down County Museum on Thursday 27 November at 7.30pm. The topic for this talk is 'The Moravian village of Gracehill and the Journey towards UNESCO World Heritage Status.'

The village was founded 264 years ago and is home to the only complete Moravian settlement in Ireland. It becomes the first site in Northern Ireland to be granted cultural World Heritage status. The guest speaker is Dr David J Johnston, OBE MSc MMedSc FRCGP. He is a medical doctor but outside of work is involved in education, community development and built heritage. He is the former Chair of Ulster Architectural Heritage and also a foundation trustee and Chair of Gracehill Old School Trust, now Gracehill Trust, a community regeneration group, which spearheaded the ultimately successful Gracehill bid for inclusion on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

David is married to Sally Ann and they have three sons. They live in a listed building in Gracehill which they open regularly on Heritage Open Days. David and Sally Ann were in New Delhi last year for the announcement made by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. 

The Lecale & Downe Historical Society's summer outing in 2024 was to Gracehill and it was decided almost immediately that the subject would make for an excellent talk. We very much look forward to Dr Johnston's visit.