South Armagh Rural Heritage Project launched

A new project to protect and celebrate the rural heritage of South Armagh was launched in Cullyhanna last week with the many visitors to the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Heritage Centre being entertained with music and great conversation.

The project secured £172,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the funding will support community projects, traditional skills, archaeological heritage as well as the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Heritage Centre itself.

The Rural Heritage of South Armagh Project is led by The Rural Health Partnership and will run for two years. It will work with local communities to explore, protect and promote the area's history, traditions, archaeological sites and rural skills.

Nel Caraher and Sean Murray from St Patrick's Primary School, Cullyhanna were exceptional singing a fantastic version of Dulaman.

Get Involved

Local people, community groups, schools, farm families, volunteers and anyone with an interest in South Armagh's heritage are encouraged to get involved. There will be opportunities to take part in workshops and events, share local knowledge and stories, learn traditional skills, support heritage activities and contribute to the development of the project.

Teresa Nugent, CEO of the Rural Health Partnership, said: "This funding provides a real opportunity to bring South Armagh's heritage to life and, importantly, to involve the people who live here in telling and preserving that story."

The project, which has the theme Our heritage, our place, our future, will involve farm families, schools, community groups, volunteers and local organisations. It will also seek to connect with the South Armagh diaspora, giving people with links to the area a chance to engage with its history and heritage. Activities will include heritage workshops, educational programmes, community events and practical opportunities to learn and share traditional skills and crafts.

The work will focus on three areas. The first is the protection and promotion of South Armagh's physical heritage, including archaeological sites and important features of the local landscape, with education and community engagement used to encourage greater awareness of their importance. The second is the development of the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Heritage Centre in Cullyhanna as a focal point for heritage, learning and community activity, with support to develop new activities and partnerships. The third is traditional rural skills, crafts and cultural practices, creating opportunities for knowledge to be shared between generations so that traditions which form an important part of South Armagh's identity are not lost.

Nugent added: "The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Heritage Centre will play an important role in providing a place where people can come together, discover more about their heritage and take part in the programme of activities."

Stella Byrne of The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: "Farming families, rural communities and organisations will also have the opportunity to share and learn about traditional heritage crafts such as maintaining stone walls, laying hedgerows and willow weaving alongside traditional farming methods and cooking."

She added: "We wish the project team well as they work to protect and pass on the stories and traditions of the area."

The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Heritage Centre opened in 1995 and celebrates the life and legacy of Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich, who grew up in the townland of Anamar, near Cullyhanna. It also showcases the region's historic sites, stories and traditions. Following a recent refurbishment of its exhibition space, which was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the centre offers exhibitions, events, educational resources, walks and cycle trails and community activities.

Angie Watson Heritage Development Officer The Rural Heritage of South Armagh Project explained what they were hoping to achieve: "With the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Rural Health Partnership this project gives us the chance to do something powerful, to celebrate what makes this place unique and to ensure that its heritage continues to thrive. This is a project we want to build with South Armagh, the people who live here know the place best. You know the stories, the places, the traditions, the characters and the memories that make this community what it is and we want to hear those stories. It might be an old picture, a story about a farm field name, a Townland, a traditional skill passed down through the family or simply a memory that you've never thought of being part of our heritage. We also want to create opportunities for people of all ages to get involved, particularly young people so that knowledge and skills will continue to thrive.

"If we get this right, our success won't simply be measured by the number of activities we deliver. It will be measured by the stories we preserve, the skills passed on, the connections made and generations who continue to value and share the heritage of South Armagh."

More information is available at www.cofheritage.com, on Facebook at COFHeritageCentre, on Instagram at cardinalofiaichcentre and on TikTok at @cardinal.ofiaich. People can also contact angie@cofheritage.com