Creative Ardagh Craft Shop online

We are delighted to announce that our new Creative Ardagh Craft Shop website is now live and we are ready to take your orders on www.creativeardaghcraftshop.com
Please spread the word!

Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre remains closed at present due to Coronvirus restrictions, but you can now get your handmade gifts and authentic Irish art, craft, design and books online. We will continue to add beautiful pieces by our wonderful creators from all over the Ireland's Hidden Heartlands region over the next few weeks and months. We also have plans for more Scéalta Beo and Creative Ardagh products, so keep an eye out for more details.

Shipping is available at flat rates to anywhere we can post to, the list of countries will be updated as restrictions are eased.

Thank you all for your continued support, remember that supporting local small businesses is now more important than ever.

Find us on the Heritage in Schools expert's panel

We are delighted to be able to announce that we are now registered experts on the Heritage in Schools panel. You can find out more about the scheme at www.heritageinschools.ie and you can view our profiles here:

http://www.heritageinschools.ie/heritage-expert/profile/annette-corkery

http://www.heritageinschools.ie/heritage-expert/profile/ann-gerety-smyth

If you would like to book a visit to your school contact us to arrange a date and discuss what you would like covered in the visit and you can then book through the Heritage in Schools portal.

All of our usual school programmes are still available in Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre. You will find details of those here: http://creativeardagh.blogspot.com/p/primary-schools.html

St. Brigid's Cross Making

Join us for our annual St. Brigid's Cross Making Workshop at Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre on Sunday 26th at 12pm. €5pp, Tea and coffee included along with some stories about St. Brigid and her connections to Ardagh and the traditions of the past.

Ardagh Fright Fest 2019

Here's a snippet from the TY visits during the week. Thanks to Nathan Sheridan for this video and to Shelley Corcoran and Longford Arts Office for arranging it.

Restoring the Balance is the theme of Ardagh Fright Fest 2019. This year the popular TY photography exhibition returned and almost 200 students joined us during the week to view the exhibition, hear stories from Scéalta Beo and take part in a clay workshop. Brendan Farrell started off the other events with an informative look at Winter Gardening. Tonight (25/10/19) we are joined by Karina Tynan who will explore the legend of Midir and Etain from Fuamnach's perspective and tomorrow (Saturday 26th) she will join Ruth Long and Scéalta Beo on an author panel looking at the relevance of Irish Mythology to the world today. Ruth continues this theme with a workshop for teens and adults delving into how ancient myth can be used in modern fiction. Family event Ardagh School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Year 9 brings Ardagh Fright Fest 2019 to a close on Sunday and Monday at 12pm. See http://ardaghfrightfest.blogspot.ie for more details.

Maths Week workshops

We are delighted to be hosting workshops for Maths Week again this year. Our Weights and Balance workshop will be available for schools and other groups from Monday 14th to Friday 18th October.
This will include a number of practical, interactive maths activities as well as a look at historic scales and weights. It is suitable for all ages. Call us on 0863027602 or 0861717925 or email creativeardagh@gmail.com to book your group. The workshop lasts for 1.5 hours and costs €5 per person.

Watch out for full details of Ardagh Fright Fest coming soon.

Ardagh Fright Fest returns at the end of October with a full line up of Spooktacular events as usual. Ardagh School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will return for Year 9 along with the popular TY photography exhibition. Watch out for full details of all events soon, but for now here are some photos from other years.

The signs have arrived, are they at the right trees?

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?
If you have any photos of the flowers, plants, trees, bees, birds, frogs or anything else you have spotted on the walk send them to us at creativeardagh@gmail.com and we will share them here.

If you want to play "Is this my tree?" with the Ardagh Tree Fairies on your next ramble up Brí Leith download the file below and you can let us know if any of them are actually beside their tree. The Ardagh Tree Fairies are tricky little beings, they often move from where they last were when least expected, so keep an eye out every time to see if they stay put.

Right-click to save image and print your own copy.