Ardagh, Co. Longford, Ireland * 086 3027602 * 086 1717925 * creativeardagh@gmail.com
We are no longer based in Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre, but we are still available for Heritage in Schools bookings and off-site workshops, storytelling and other events.
Contact us at creativeardagh@gmail.com to discuss your requirements.
https://www.heritageinschools.ie/heritage-expert/profile/annette-corkery
https://www.heritageinschools.ie/heritage-expert/profile/ann-gerety-smyth
Happy Brigid's Day.
Here's a beautiful poem to reflect on by our very own Rose Moran who came to our Brigid's Cross and Weaving Workshop last Saturday and shared it with us.
Imbolc Blessings.
We are delighted to announce a date for the launch of our book Longford's Ancient Ways, a celebration of the beauty and heritage of Longford through imagery, story, and lore.
Celebrate the mythology, folklore, and biodiversity of our lovely Longford with us on the 7th November at 7pm in Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre. Our long-time friend and colleague from many ventures, Pat Kelleher, will be saying a few kind words on the day. All welcome and all invited to purchase a book which we hope you will enjoy for many a year to come.
We are delighted to announce that we are now taking pre-orders for our new book Longford's Ancient Ways. The book is a celebration of our county's mythology, folklore and biodiversity as we look at how the ancient festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lúnasa continue to be celebrated from times past to today. Launching it on the eve of the first Bank Holiday to celebrate St Brigid's Day makes it even more special as we now have a public holiday to mark each of the turnings of the seasons.
The book is a visual feast, full of our photos and illustrations as well as our words and stories. Watch this space for more details over the coming weeks. Pre-order your copy here. Link to the Midir and Etain Trail on Google Earth
Tochmarc Étaíne - The Wooing of Etain
21 August, 12pm - 1pm & 3pm - 4pm
A jointly hosted event by Creative Ardagh / Scealta Beo and Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre/OPW.
An imaginative, humorous adaption of the epic love story of Midir & Etain for you to enjoy.
This is the story of the fierce, handsome Midir, of the Tuatha de Danann, and Etaín, the most beautiful woman in Ireland.
A tale of love, jealousy, loss, magic, shape shifting, Fidchell, impossible tasks and a giant causeway of Oak .
Performed by local actors, Scéalta Beo & Clann Chorr Re-enactors in two acts.
Act 1: Midir, Etain & Bri Leith,
Time: 12.00pm - 1.00pm
Venue: Ardagh Heritage & Creativity Centre and Grounds.
Act 2: Midir, Etain, Eochaidh & The Trackway
Time: 3.00pm - 4.00pm
Venue: Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre
A two hour break is included to facilitate travel from Ardagh to Corlea via the Midir & Etain Trail & Food.
Both Mac's Shack & Foigha Bar serve delicious meals while 2 Mugs Coffee Trailer offers coffee, teas, light refreshments at Mosstown Harbour.
We encourage audience participation so why not dress up and join in the fun.
No booking required. Open to all ages but children must be supervised at both venues.
For further information please contact the Visitor Centre at 043 3322386/corlea@opw.ie or Ardagh Heritage & Creativity Centre 086 3027602 / creativeardagh@gmail.com
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The annual Bilberry Sunday walk takes place on 31st July 2022 in association with Crúthu Arts Festival. Join us for some or all of the celebrations:
11am
Meet at Ardagh GAA Pitch and follow our local guide and wealth of knowledge Brendan Farrell of Ardagh Village Landscapes along the Brí Leith Walk. We will be accompanied by our local Celtic Re-enactors Clann Chorr and Scéalta Beo storytellers.
1pm (ish)
Everyone is welcome to picnic in the garden of the Neighbourhood Park at Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre. Don't forget to bring your picnic blankets and picnic!
2pm
Our special guest this year is Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland who will give a talk about the important connections between Brí Léith (Ardagh) and Newgrange as they are found in the romantic tale Tochmarc Étaín (the Wooing of Étaín).
Anthony has been studying the mythology of the Brú na Bóinne complex for over 20 years and has found some fascinating material in the old stories. He is an author, tour guide and photographer from Drogheda. He has published nine books inspired by the mythology and archaeology of the great prehistoric monuments of the Boyne Valley. In 2018, he discovered the remains of a giant late Neolithic henge close to Newgrange. He curates the Mythical Ireland website and social media channels and broadcasts a weekly livestream. He has appeared as an expert on the Boyne Valley on the History Channel, National Geographic, Discovery Science and Channel 4.
We are delighted to now be taking bookings for visits to schools through the Heritage in Schools scheme. Between February and June Ann or Annette
can come to your school and guide you and your students through one of
our fun-filled, interactive heritage workshop sessions. The scheme aims
to raise awareness and to help children and their teachers appreciate
their local heritage by engaging with it in a meaningful way.
Place-based learning in the outdoor classroom is also encouraged.
Visits
are part-funded by the Heritage Council so the cost to the school for a
full day with a heritage specialist is only €100 (€60 for DEIS schools)
and half day visits are €60 (€40 for DEIS schools). If you book the
same specialist for 5 sessions the 5th visit is free for the school.
Contact us at creativeardagh@gmail.com to arrange a date in advance, then book your visit through the Heritage in Schools website.
Storytelling and Mythology
https://scealtabeo.blogspot.com/
Life in the Iron Age
https://kingatthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Exploring your Townland
http://longfordtownlandsart.blogspot.com/
Biodiversity in the school garden
www.heritageweek.ie/projects/restoring-the-balance; http://ardaghtreefairies.blogspot.com
Fadó, fadó Midir was tasked by Eochaidh with creating a road over the bog. Eochaidh did not keep his end of the bargain and sent out a spy to watch the spectacle. Midir then built a deliberate fault in the road, so it wouldn't last.
This story had been told orally for centuries before being written down by the monks who carefully recorded The Wooing of Etain in Lebor na hUidre and the Yellow Book of Lecan in the 12th and 15th Centuries.
The road in question was uncovered in the early 1980s at Corlea, near Kenagh, Co. Longford. Constructed in 148AD it was found to have lasted a very short time, around ten years, before sinking back into the bog which preserved it.
One theory is that it had a ceremonial use and so was needed only for enough time to fulfill its purpose. The people of the time experienced many years of failed crops and hunger, brought about by climate change, so drastic action was needed. Back then this involved a huge community effort, getting together to cut down the 100s of oak and birch trees needed to make the road, cutting, shaping and transporting them into place, before sacrificing their king to appease the gods and restore balance to nature and food abundance to the people.
Throughout history there have been other times when nature was out of balance requiring drastic measures. Now, with climate disasters making headlines we need action again. We can feel helpless when faced with global problems, but solutions may be found closer to home in our natural heritage.
We need community effort to plant trees, re-wild areas, add biodiversity and work with nature instead of against her. Time is running out to restore abundance and benefit all life. We can start with our own gardens.
This Heritage Week Scéalta Beo will show what we’ve been doing in a series of videos including some of the following: attracting pollinators, foraging in the garden, food forests, pond life, saving seeds, growing vegetables, keeping chickens and embracing weeds.
We are starting a collection of living stories: local plant heritage and lore. Pat Kelleher will share the story of the kale that has been growing for generations in his garden. He gave us plants last year and we have saved seeds to share at our in person event. Brendan Farrell will tell us of his grandfather’s golden osiers. We will have cuttings later in the year.
We would like your help to gather more living stories. Have you had an encounter with a frog? Are you re-wilding land? Have you a tree in your field for generations? Is your family growing vegetables together? Whatever your story, we would love to hear it. Get in touch to share it: scealtabeo@gmail.com
If you would like to tell us your story in person or have some seeds or chemical-free plants to swap come along to the 10th Anniversary event at Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre:
22nd August: 2pm-4pm
Plant, seed and story swap
We have been busy collecting seeds and growing plants to share. We are giving away seeds including Pat Kelleher's Kale in the hope that people will grow their own. We encourage you to bring chemical-free plants and seeds to swap. We'll use what we get in return in our gardens and keep seed to share next year. The aim is to build connections, biodiversity, and keep heritage seeds in circulation. This helps local food resilience and hopefully saves some rare heirloom varieties for the future.
The story collection is a very important element. Scéalta Beo means living stories and we hope to educate and inspire, as well tapping into and storing some vital knowledge, plant lore and memories for future generations. We want to encourage people to garden with nature instead of against it and save the planet while we're at it. Come along to start restoring the balance.
Lots
of you have noticed that the Ardagh Tree Fairy signs have arrived in
the Neighbourhood Park and on the Brí Leith Walk in the last few weeks.
Well done to those of you who already let us know that some of the signs
on the hill are not at the right tree. This is not a mistake. The Tree
Fairies want us all to slow down and really look at and appreciate the
nature around us. One way we can do this is to look closely at the trees
and plants on the walk. See what insects you can spot, watch the
bramble flowers transform into green, red then blackberries, note what
is in flower when, and maybe take time to sit and draw some of the
views. The Tree Fairies would love to see your art. |
| These photos show a tiny selection of the ever changing nature on Brí Leith |
Did you see the tadpoles? Has anyone noticed any frogs yet? |
| Right-click to save image and print your own copy. |
