Write a commentNewry, Mourne and Down District Council, through the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership Scheme, received £9,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project, ‘Exploring the Restoration and Re-instatement of the Home of the Bard of Armagh’.
The project, led by local community volunteers focuses on the life of Bishop Dr Patrick Donnelly of Dromore, the ‘Bard of Armagh’. The scheme will centre on the Bard’s home, a uniquely important 18th century dwelling house in Lislea.
The building has sadly fallen into a severe state of neglect. This project plans to explore the potential to bring the house back to its former glory and will facilitate discussion and planning with the owners of the house on how best to move forward. Ultimately, the house and its rich local and ecclesiastical history will be shared with a wide audience at home and abroad. It is hoped that this project will bring Bishop Donnelly’s story back to life.
The family who own the house and the Bard of Armagh Homestead Committee share a desire to protect this unique dwelling and carry the story of this world-renowned character to future generations. The Bard of Armagh’s history is one of a man who had a profound impact on his own parish and also throughout Ireland during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It is a tale that deserves widespread recognition.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick, praised this initiative, “Projects like this are of vital importance to our area. This project will fund the up-skilling of a local group helping them to realise a long held wish to restore this piece of history. A sense of place has always been important but never more so than in the internet age. This project will help to reconnect us with our own place.”
A spokesperson from The Bard of Armagh Homestead Committee said, “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund – it’s a dream come true, the light at the end of the tunnel. With the help of the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership team and this start-up grant, we see the project moving forward quickly. This project will be a really positive addition to the area, it will add significantly to the upward curve in tourism and heritage.”
The Bard of Armagh Homestead Committee is actively seeking new members to drive this project forward. Log on to www.ringofgullion.org for more details on how to get in touch.
