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
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
The Conference dinner venue / Hotel is
8 Gorteade Road, Upperlands. BT46 5SA
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
Date: Saturday 29th October 2016,
Eimear 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.”