Tag Archives: Lough Neagh

2018 Conference

UK and Ireland Lakes Network Conference 2018

21st and 22nd May, Seamus Heaney Homeplace, Bellaghy

“CONNECTING PEOPLE AND LAKES: PAST AND PRESENT”

SEE BOOKING LINK BELOW

Conference Day Two – £25.00

Tour Day One – £25.00

 Dinner  Day One – £25.00

The UK and Ireland Lakes Network is an association of people and organisations who have an interest in managing lakes through a whole catchment approach. The body achieves this through the sharing of the experience and expertise.

UKILN brings together all those different organisations, ranging from national regulators to local interest groups and specialist professionals. It covers the whole variety of lake issues from the environment to local community needs, leisure uses and legal requirements through to the more intangible values such as their cultural and spiritual qualities.

2018 Conference

In 2018 the UK and Ireland Lakes Network will be holding its conference in Northern Ireland in the new Seamus Heaney Homeplace Centre. Over the last number of years, the themes of the UK and Ireland conference have been fairly scientific based including, water quality management and environmental protection.  However, this year 2018 the conference will look at other aspects of Lakes that are equally important.  These include themes such as the connections between lakes and health and well-being, the sublime and poetic features of our wet landscapes, the  past and present cultural traditions associated with our lake resources and how and why we just want to connect with water itself.  (See below for booking details)

Venue

The new Seamus Heaney Homeplace centre has just been opened in 2017 in Northern Ireland.  Seamus Heaney was a Nobel laureate and internationally renowned poet whose work often celebrated the Lough Beg landscape in which he was born and brought up.   It would therefore be of relevance and opportune to maybe examine themes he often wrote about such as the connections of  water to the cultural, historic and spiritual aspects of our lives. The main conference day is on the 22 May 2018

Themes

The theme of the conference will  be “ Connecting People and Lakes: Past and Present”

Speakers and potential speaker topics will therefore include:

  • The sublime inspiration of lakes and water.
  • The healing power of water and Lakes.
  • The importance of water and lakes to ancient people. (The archaeology of lakes as food sources, sanctuaries and places of worship and habitation.)
  • The cultural legacy and traditions stemming from lakes.  eg traditional fishing boats, religious traditions, songs and ballads of lakes, heritage buildings left on shores.
  • How and why do people connect to lakes
  • What do we mean by a sustainable lake and what are the health, social and economic benefits ?

Dates and Timeline

Monday 21st May 2018: Tour Day

2pm – 5pm      Tour of Heaney Country –  the starting point of the tour is Seamus Heaney Homeplace 45 Main Street, Bellaghy.  BT45 8HT

You will be taken on a guided tour around Heaney Country by Gerry Darby, you will visit some of the sites referred to in his writing, hear poetry recitals and gain an understanding of his interpretation of the landscape.  Please bring appropriate outdoor wear in case of inclement weather.  Following the tour, the bus will drop you off at your hotel (Ardtara Country House) to check in

8pm                 Conference Dinner at Ardtara Country House

Tuesday 22nd May 2018: Main Conference Day

9.30am            Registration, tea & coffee

10am               Conference opened by Gerry Darby, Chairperson, UKILN

10.30am          Dr Liam Campbell, Built and Cultural Heritage Officer Lough Neagh: The
Cultural Legacy of Ireland’s Loughs.

11.00am          Dr Paul Logue, Senior Archaeologist with Department for Communities,
Historic Environment Division: Lakes Crannogs and Irish Landscapes of Power.

11.30am          tea & coffee break

12noon            Alish Hanna and Niall Hanna. The Musical and Singing Traditions of Lough
Neagh, Past and Present.

12.30pm          Greta Mc Carron, Local Authority Waters and Communities Officer, Republic
of Ireland: How Lakes and Water can improve our Health and Well-being.

1.00pm            Lunch

2.00pm            Dr Trish Murphy, Celebrate Water, Inishowen Donegal: A view from Lough
Foyle. Joining Rivers, People and The Sea.

2.30pm            Scott Ferguson, Seven Lochs Wetland Park, Scotland: Connecting Lakes and
People In an Urban Environment.

3.00pm            tea & coffee break

3.30pm            Conference summary & close by Gerry Darby UKILN Chairperson

4pm                 Transport to Belfast International Airport & Belfast City Airport

Getting there

By Car

The conference venue is Seamus Heaney Homeplace

45 Main Street, Bellaghy.  BT45 8HT

Click here for Google Map

The Conference dinner venue / Hotel is

8 Gorteade Road, Upperlands.  BT46 5SA

Click here for Google Map

 

Accommodation

You are advised to book your accommodation as early as possible, there are only a limited number of rooms available.  The recommended accommodation is Ardtara Country House Hotel  8 Gorteade Road, Upperlands.  BT46 5SA

 

The following delegate rate has been agreed:

B&B single occupancy £99

B&B twin occupancy £139

Please telephone to book 028 7964 4490 – this delegate rate cannot be booked online, you will need to quote UK & Ireland Lakes Network

 

If Ardtara is fully booked, the nearest hotel is Walsh’s Hotel, Maghera https://www.walshshotel.com/  There are no special delegate rates

 

Halloween on Lough Neagh

Autumn at Ballyronan Lough Neagh

 

There are lots of spooky ‘goings on’ around Lough Neagh & Its Waterways this Halloween!

Are you brave enough?

Lough Neagh has lots a fantastic myths and legends that provide great character to this beautiful landscape. Among these are some creepy and compelling tales of ghosts and hauntings that stretch back hundreds of years. Here are 5 of the most haunted places around Lough Neagh and the stories behind them.  Read more if you dare: 5 Spooky sites around Lough Neagh & Its Waterways

Spooktacular Fireworks

Spooktacular Fireworks

Thursday 27th October

Enjoy de-frightful fun at Junction One, in partnership with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, on Thursday 27th October from 6pm!

  • Spooky Haunted Jungle Playground
  • Halloween Grotto
  • Ghost train
  • Q Radio Roadshow with Sonya Mac
  • Paw patrol characters plus Mickey and Minnie in Halloween Costumes
  • Spooktacular firework finale at 8pm

Kinnego Marina Swamp Trail

Kinnego Marina Swamp Trail

Date: Friday 28th October 2016

Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Venue: Kinnego Marina

Price: £5 Per Person

Take the children through the freaky forest trail to the spooktacular fancy dress & BBQ – then – adults, if you dare, can you complete the terrifying swamp trail, or, are you afraid of the scare?
Further details on Facebook: Kinnego Marina Swamp Trail

  • Halloween Hooley

    Date: Saturday 29th October 2016, 2pm – 5pm

    Venue: Meadowbank Sports Arena

    Price: Free entry

    The ever popular children’s event will be bustling with all things spooky to help keep your little monsters entertained. Get ready to enjoy a family performance by Babcock & Bobbins, burn off some wicked energy on the inflatables, participate in Halloween themed arts and crafts, take part in a fancy dress competition, take delight in the puppet shows, face-painting and lots, lots more.

Lough Neagh Top 100 Global Sustainable Destination

Lough Neagh Top 100 Global Sustainable Destination

Lough Neagh is one of only 100 destinations worldwide to have been awarded ‘Sustainable Destination’ at the Global Sustainability Competition in the Castle of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The awards celebrate the efforts of tourism destination’s responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives globally.  Lough Neagh was nominated by the UK & Ireland Lakes Network and evaluated by experts of the Green Destinations Top 100 Team and by members of the special Top 100 Selection Panel, that included over 60 tourism sustainability experts. The Top 100 initiative aims to recognise tourism destinations that have worked hard to make a difference and take sustainability seriously.

Lough Neagh Top 100 Sustainable DestinationEimear Kearney of Lough Neagh Partnership accepted the award on behalf of the destination and said: “For Lough Neagh to be named among the 100 greenest of destinations worldwide is a real achievement for our destination. “In order to be selected for this award we had to provide extensive information on Lough Neagh and our efforts towards sustainability for the benefit of visitors, residents and the world.  We are really honoured to have been selected from 150 nominations to receive this unique award.”

Lough Neagh is the biggest lake in the UK & Ireland and an internationally important wetland with numerous environmental designations, local and national nature reserves.  It is one of our greatest natural resources and one of the most important conservation areas in the whole of Northern Ireland, with very unique species and habitats worth protecting.  The achievement is an endorsement of the fantastic work by various stakeholder groups around the Lough and marks a commitment going forward to preserve Lough Neagh and its biodiversity.  Lough Neagh Partnership recently commenced a European water quality project and just last week launched a new plan to address loss of bird species and wetland habitat on shores of Lough Neagh.