The rich tapestry of history is often best captured through the lens of a camera, freezing moments in time to tell stories of the past. Wiki Loves Monuments is an international photo competition to promote historic sites around the world through Wikimedia projects (mainly Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons).
Not your first rodeo? Experts: UPLOAD HERE!
Read on for more information including:
- What is Wiki Loves Monuments?
- How to Enter
- Prizes
- Special Celtic Knot Category
- Contest Timeline
- Jury
- Why participate in Wiki Loves Monuments?
Hosted by Wikimedia Community Ireland Wiki Loves Monuments is a photography contest that showcases Irish-built heritage from all regions. It also aims to celebrate and encourage the preservation and promotion of digital heritage via Wikimedia Projects.
From churches to bridges, canal locks to market halls, every spot on our interactive map is a piece of Ireland’s built heritage that needs a photograph, which means we need your help.
Wiki Loves Monuments will be taking place again from the 1st to the 30th of September and is open to all, professional and amateur photographers alike! All you need to take part is a camera or a phone and a way to upload your photos to Wiki Commons.
If you would like to get involved find out more here.
What is Wiki Loves Monuments?
Wiki Loves Monuments is an annual international photographic event which takes place every September or October around the world.
The competition aims to bring together people who value their local historic environment, calling on amateur and professional photographers alike to capture images of the world’s historic monuments. Ireland’s list is compiled from sites that are either publicly owned or are available to visit, and are listed by either the National Monuments Service and the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Visit the interactive map to see all 7000+ eligible monuments here.
The photos are then shared under a free licence via Wikimedia Commons, a free media repository which along with other things provides most of the images for Wikipedia.
Entries can be images taken specially for the competition, or photographs you have taken in the past.
Winners will be notified by email and announced on this website, on Facebook, Twitter and the Wikimedia Community Ireland mailing list. Join here.
How to Enter
Taking in the world’s largest photography competition is easy read on to find out how to enter!
- Find your nearest eligible national monuments from the map. The red dots are monuments with no photograph yet.
- Have a read of the rules and tips.
- Go out and take your best shots.
- Upload your images to Wikimedia Commons here or through the interactive map. Then follow the steps in the uploader.
Note: You’ll be asked to register an account with Wikimedia Commons if you haven’t already, and don’t forget to add your email for when you win!
Prizes
This year we are delighted to announce that along with the national prizes we will have a special category for Celtic Knot and for images uploaded by a newcomer from each province!
National Contest
First Place: €250
Second Place: €125
Third Place: €75
Honourable Mention: €40 (7 prizes)
Special Prize: Newcomers from Each Province
Munster: €25
Connaught: €25
Ulster: €25
Leinster: €25
Special Category: Celtic Knot Waterford Contest
First Place: €40
Second Place: €40
Third Place: €40
*All prizes will be awarded in the form of a oneforall or Amazon voucher.
About the Special Category for Celtic Knot 2024 Waterford
This year we are delighted to be hosting the Celtic Knot Wikimedia Languages Conference in collaboration with Wikimedia UK. After years of virtual conferences, we are thrilled that the event will take place in person in Waterford City.
The Celtic Knot Conference seeks to strengthen language communities within Wikimedia projects and beyond by providing a forum for discussion, learning, and promoting the expansion of projects. This year’s conference, hosted in Ireland, will have a cultural focus on the Irish language and cultural heritage while providing a platform for multiple minority language communities to come together.
To celebrate we are opening a special category and prize for Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 dedicated to monuments in Waterford.
Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and seeped in history! That means if you are coming to Celtic Knot 2024, you can capture your experience of built Irish Heritage while you are there and be in with the chance of winning prizes! You can also enter your photo into this category if you happen to be located in Waterford or visiting the locality this Autumn.
Contest Timeline
1 September: The contest officially opens, and uploading of photos begins.
September 24th-27th: Celtic Knot Conference in Waterford. Get tickets here!
30 September: Contest closes, and uploading of photos ends.
November: Winners will be announced.
2024 Jury
TBD
Why Participate?
Participants will see their photos used in Wikipedia articles with a potential audience in the hundreds of millions
All entrants help to provide a range of locally sourced images that are available for use on Wikipedia and elsewhere.
Aside from being great fun, Wiki Loves Monuments is a way of capturing a snapshot of Ireland’s cultural heritage for future generations. Over time, the collections gathered throughout the competition will become an incredibly useful historical resource.
Press and media inquiries: Email info@wikimedia.ie
Looking for Inspiration for Wiki Loves Monuments?
Explore the very first digital exhibition of winning photographs from the Wiki Loves Monuments photo contest. Hosted by Wikimedia Community Ireland this exhibition showcases Irish built heritage from all regions. It also aims to celebrate and encourage the preservation and promotion of digital heritage via Wikimedia Projects. Open knowledge is accessible freely accessible to all so please enjoy these exceptional examples of photos that capture important parts of Irish history.
Visit the Virtual Exhibtion of past winners here.
Got a question? Please have a read of the FAQs here, and if your question isn’t already answered, email us info@wikimedia.ie
