First class begins: June 3rd, 8pm – 10pm
Run over a 5 week period and covering all the major questions you may have with regard to Psychic, Spiritual and Angelic development, in an honest and easy to understand manner. The course is run by a natural born healer and psychic who has been qualified in the fields of Integrated Energy Therapy, Magical Angel Therapies, Mediumship, and Angel Counseling.
Course content includes introductions to: Know thyself through meditations, Grounding and protection, Understanding Auras and Chakras, Crystals and Card readings, Healing and personal Angels, Spirit guides, Mediumship, plus lots more fun spiritual stuff… all questions will be answered!
To book your place, call Caroline on 0894549087
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
May Events
This month at Cruachan Aí we have a great range of interesting and good value activities on offer!
Kids Warrior Workshop - Saturday 7th May, and Saturday 28th May, 2pm to 5pm, part of Rathcroghan Living History Club programme. Meet the warriors from Roscommon Lamb Festival, learn about historical weapons and armour, and how to fight like they do! €4 per child.
New Walking Club - Meet at Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Sunday mornings, 10am, for a gentle 5km route on back lanes around Tulsk. Family friendly, suitable for all ages - get fit, enjoy the area, and get a relaxing social walk in good company. Free Guided Walks available once a month: spot the local interest features you never even knew were there!
Irish Gods and Goddesses - Adult Education Talk with author Lora O’Brien, Thursday 26th May, 8pm to 9.30pm. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
Kids Pottery Workshop – Saturday 4th June, part of Rathcroghan Living History Club programme. Learn how to make Medieval Pottery that you can use at home! Part 1 of 2. More details to be confirmed.
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Thursday Morning - Cruachan Crafters in Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, 10am to 12.noon.
May 5, 12, 19, 26
Second Wednesday of every month – Writers Club in Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, 10am to 12 noon.
May 11
Kids Warrior Workshop - Saturday 7th May, and Saturday 28th May, 2pm to 5pm, part of Rathcroghan Living History Club programme. Meet the warriors from Roscommon Lamb Festival, learn about historical weapons and armour, and how to fight like they do! €4 per child.
New Walking Club - Meet at Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Sunday mornings, 10am, for a gentle 5km route on back lanes around Tulsk. Family friendly, suitable for all ages - get fit, enjoy the area, and get a relaxing social walk in good company. Free Guided Walks available once a month: spot the local interest features you never even knew were there!
Irish Gods and Goddesses - Adult Education Talk with author Lora O’Brien, Thursday 26th May, 8pm to 9.30pm. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
Kids Pottery Workshop – Saturday 4th June, part of Rathcroghan Living History Club programme. Learn how to make Medieval Pottery that you can use at home! Part 1 of 2. More details to be confirmed.
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Thursday Morning - Cruachan Crafters in Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, 10am to 12.noon.
May 5, 12, 19, 26
Second Wednesday of every month – Writers Club in Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, 10am to 12 noon.
May 11
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April Events In Roscommon
This month there is plenty of activities for everyone! Whether you are part of a group, a family, young or old you will always find something to do in your local area:
Western Alzheimers Association Tea Day in Coffee @ Keoghs, Wednesday Afternoon, 6th April
New Walking Club! - Meets at Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Sunday mornings, 10am, for a gentle 5km route on back lanes around Tulsk. Family friendly, suitable for all ages - get fit, enjoy the area, and get a relaxing social walk in good company. Free Guided Walk to kick us off: spot the local interest sites and features you never even knew were there!
Guided Walk is on Sunday 10th April, meet at Cruachan Aí Centre, 10am. (Thanks to Bernadette D'Alton of Cruachan Aí).
Stone Wall Workshop - Build a stone flowerbed for your garden! Half day workshop with Andy Rimmer. Saturday 16th April at Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk. 9.30am - 12.30 pm, Cost is €20 per person, materials included.
Children's Easter Workshop - Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Saturday 16th April, 2pm to 4.30pm. Cost is just €4 per child, or special offer €10 Family Ticket.
Try the Children's Living History Club for FREE - Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Begins Tuesday 19th April, 4pm to 5.30pm, with a free session to start you off. Weekly club costs just €3 per child, family discounts available. Kids explore Medieval times through a series of events and workshops - food and cooking, costumes, crafts, music, warrior training and lots more!
Adult Education Talk - Thursday 21st April, 8 to 9.30pm, Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
Music @ Keoghs - Rudhan Mew will play on Friday evening, 29th April, 7-9pm in Coffee @ Keoghs
Regular Events in Tulsk:
Every Tuesday Morning - Irish Conversation social meets in Coffee@Keoghs. 11am to 12.
April 5, 12, 19, 26
Every Thursday Morning - Cruachan Crafters in Cruachan Aí Centre, 10am to 12.
April 7, 14, 21, 28
Second Wednesday of every month – Writers Club in Cruachan Ai Centre, 10am to 12.
April 13
Last Wed of every month – Irish Conversation social meets in Tulsk Inn, 7pm to 8.
April 27
Patchwork Workshops with Beatrice Egan. Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, running 4 more weeks, every Saturday 2pm to 4pm. Cost is €7 per person, includes all materials and tea/coffee.
Western Alzheimers Association Tea Day in Coffee @ Keoghs, Wednesday Afternoon, 6th April
New Walking Club! - Meets at Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Sunday mornings, 10am, for a gentle 5km route on back lanes around Tulsk. Family friendly, suitable for all ages - get fit, enjoy the area, and get a relaxing social walk in good company. Free Guided Walk to kick us off: spot the local interest sites and features you never even knew were there!
Guided Walk is on Sunday 10th April, meet at Cruachan Aí Centre, 10am. (Thanks to Bernadette D'Alton of Cruachan Aí).
Stone Wall Workshop - Build a stone flowerbed for your garden! Half day workshop with Andy Rimmer. Saturday 16th April at Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk. 9.30am - 12.30 pm, Cost is €20 per person, materials included.
Children's Easter Workshop - Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Saturday 16th April, 2pm to 4.30pm. Cost is just €4 per child, or special offer €10 Family Ticket.
Try the Children's Living History Club for FREE - Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Begins Tuesday 19th April, 4pm to 5.30pm, with a free session to start you off. Weekly club costs just €3 per child, family discounts available. Kids explore Medieval times through a series of events and workshops - food and cooking, costumes, crafts, music, warrior training and lots more!
Adult Education Talk - Thursday 21st April, 8 to 9.30pm, Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
Music @ Keoghs - Rudhan Mew will play on Friday evening, 29th April, 7-9pm in Coffee @ Keoghs
Regular Events in Tulsk:
Every Tuesday Morning - Irish Conversation social meets in Coffee@Keoghs. 11am to 12.
April 5, 12, 19, 26
Every Thursday Morning - Cruachan Crafters in Cruachan Aí Centre, 10am to 12.
April 7, 14, 21, 28
Second Wednesday of every month – Writers Club in Cruachan Ai Centre, 10am to 12.
April 13
Last Wed of every month – Irish Conversation social meets in Tulsk Inn, 7pm to 8.
April 27
Patchwork Workshops with Beatrice Egan. Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre, Tulsk, running 4 more weeks, every Saturday 2pm to 4pm. Cost is €7 per person, includes all materials and tea/coffee.
Friday, March 4, 2011
St Patricks Day Recipes
Irish Food Traditions
Since St Patrick himself traipsed around the country there has been arguments about traditional Irish food.
St Patrick didn’t partake of potatoes as the Americas hadn’t been visited nor did he dye his beer green as far as we know, but what he did have was a wide selection of gorgeous, fresh, tasty food to choose from.
One dish which is always mentioned is watercress soup. St Patrick apparently loved watercress soup which by fortunate chance is green. A perfect start to your St Patricks Day feast.
Watercress Soup, serves 6
3 tblsps butter
1 1/4 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 bunches of chopped watercress having removed the coarse stalks
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Method:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. When melted, add the potatoes and onions and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a low heat for 10 mins. Add the stock and the milk, bring to a the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are soft. Add the watercress and boil with the lid off for approximately 4 to 5 mins until the watercress is cooked. Do not overcook to keep its lovely green colour. Puree the soup. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Throw in some shamrock shaped croutons.
Nettle soup is also traditional from an even earlier period in Irish history, the young tips of the spring nettle were beneficial and tasted good, but be careful when you pick them!
Next of course to the bacon and cabbage; this has become most definitely the chosen dish for St Patrick’s Day. Other dishes such as Irish Stew are also firm favourites.
This extract is from The Vision of Aislinge Meic Con Glinne, an 11th century text.
Pigs have formed part of the Irish diet since the Neolithic times along with milk, honey, cheese, butter, cereals and plenty of vegetables, and they are still central to it. A pig was kept for food while cattle and sheep had wool and milk to preserve them. Pigs feature in almost every old tale and travellers through Ireland in later centuries always noted the pig at the hearth. ‘The gentlemen who pay the rent’ is a common expression for pigs. There is also a tradition that they should only be slaughtered when there is an R in the month. And February and March fit the bill.
Cattle being valuable were not usually slaughtered but the practice of bleeding cattle and mixing the blood with milk, grain and butter was common feature of fair and festival days. Black pudding, made from blood, grain (usually barley) and seasoning remains a breakfast staple in Ireland. William Wilde, Oscar’s father and a Roscommon man, remembers Rathcroghan being ‘reddened with the blood thus drawn upon a May morning. Crowds of locals would then gather round turf fires and cook the blood mixed with oatmeal and onion.’ (William Wilde, Popular Superstitions. 1852.)
The potato was introduced to Ireland by the same man who brought us tobacco, Walter Raleigh first grew potatoes on his estates in Cork but they were not widely used until the 17th century. They rapidly became the staple diet of the Irish people as the land was taken from them and they only had rough land to cultivate. The potato grows well on bad land. The Irish were the first Europeans to use the potato as a staple food.
The bacon and the cabbage are boiled together, the cabbage only going in at the last, and the potatoes cooked separately in their skins. This is served with mustard and sometimes a white sauce with parsley is an accompaniment. More modern times have seen brown sauce join the gang but always there is butter.
The sweet thing at the end of the meal should by right of ancient usage be made with honey. Honey, butter and salt were the always part of an ancient feast. Honey for the mead, honey with the apples and even honey with the meat. Honey roast ham is not a modern invention.
Almost all Celtic countries have a dessert that's a variation of this: cream, oatmeal, honey, nuts and whiskey.
This is called Cranachan
1/3 cup / 50g flaked almonds
2/3 cup / 50g medium oatmeal
1 1/4 cup / 300 ml whipping cream or double cream
4 tblsp honey, to taste
4 tblsp / 60ml Irish whiskey
1 tblsp / 15ml lemon juice
Toast the almonds and oatmeal in a dry frying pan until golden.
Whip the cream in a bowl: stir in the honey and whiskey. Fold in the almonds and oatmeal, and finally the lemon juice. Fresh fruit can be used to decorate the individual desserts.
Add green food colouring to any or all of the above!
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!
(Ban-ock-tee na fay-lah paw-rig ur-iv)
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Article by Bernadette D'Alton
Since St Patrick himself traipsed around the country there has been arguments about traditional Irish food.
St Patrick didn’t partake of potatoes as the Americas hadn’t been visited nor did he dye his beer green as far as we know, but what he did have was a wide selection of gorgeous, fresh, tasty food to choose from.
One dish which is always mentioned is watercress soup. St Patrick apparently loved watercress soup which by fortunate chance is green. A perfect start to your St Patricks Day feast.
Watercress Soup, serves 6
3 tblsps butter
1 1/4 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 bunches of chopped watercress having removed the coarse stalks
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Method:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. When melted, add the potatoes and onions and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a low heat for 10 mins. Add the stock and the milk, bring to a the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are soft. Add the watercress and boil with the lid off for approximately 4 to 5 mins until the watercress is cooked. Do not overcook to keep its lovely green colour. Puree the soup. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Throw in some shamrock shaped croutons.
Nettle soup is also traditional from an even earlier period in Irish history, the young tips of the spring nettle were beneficial and tasted good, but be careful when you pick them!
Next of course to the bacon and cabbage; this has become most definitely the chosen dish for St Patrick’s Day. Other dishes such as Irish Stew are also firm favourites.
This extract is from The Vision of Aislinge Meic Con Glinne, an 11th century text.
“One of these eight, then, was Aniér MacConglinne, a famous scholar he, with abundance of knowledge. The reason why he was called Aniér was because he would satirise and praise all. No wonder, indeed; for there had not come before him, and came not after him, one whose satire or praise was harder to bear, wherefore he was called Anéra [i.e. Non-refusal], for that there was no refusing him. …… A great longing seized the mind of the scholar, to follow poetry, and to abandon his reading. For wretched to him was his life in the shade of his studies. And he searched in his mind whither he would make his first poetical journey. The result of his search was, to go to Cathal MacFinguine, who was then on a royal progress in Íveagh of Munster. The scholar had heard that he would get plenty and enough of all kinds of whitemeats; for greedy and hungry for whitemeats was the scholar. This came into the mind of the scholar on a Saturday eve exactly, at Roscommon; for there he was pursuing his reading. Then he sold the little stock he possessed for two wheaten cakes and a slice of old bacon with a streak across its middle. These he put in his book-satchel. And on that night two pointed shoes of hide, of seven-folded dun leather, he shaped for himself.”
Pigs have formed part of the Irish diet since the Neolithic times along with milk, honey, cheese, butter, cereals and plenty of vegetables, and they are still central to it. A pig was kept for food while cattle and sheep had wool and milk to preserve them. Pigs feature in almost every old tale and travellers through Ireland in later centuries always noted the pig at the hearth. ‘The gentlemen who pay the rent’ is a common expression for pigs. There is also a tradition that they should only be slaughtered when there is an R in the month. And February and March fit the bill.
Cattle being valuable were not usually slaughtered but the practice of bleeding cattle and mixing the blood with milk, grain and butter was common feature of fair and festival days. Black pudding, made from blood, grain (usually barley) and seasoning remains a breakfast staple in Ireland. William Wilde, Oscar’s father and a Roscommon man, remembers Rathcroghan being ‘reddened with the blood thus drawn upon a May morning. Crowds of locals would then gather round turf fires and cook the blood mixed with oatmeal and onion.’ (William Wilde, Popular Superstitions. 1852.)
The potato was introduced to Ireland by the same man who brought us tobacco, Walter Raleigh first grew potatoes on his estates in Cork but they were not widely used until the 17th century. They rapidly became the staple diet of the Irish people as the land was taken from them and they only had rough land to cultivate. The potato grows well on bad land. The Irish were the first Europeans to use the potato as a staple food.
The bacon and the cabbage are boiled together, the cabbage only going in at the last, and the potatoes cooked separately in their skins. This is served with mustard and sometimes a white sauce with parsley is an accompaniment. More modern times have seen brown sauce join the gang but always there is butter.
The sweet thing at the end of the meal should by right of ancient usage be made with honey. Honey, butter and salt were the always part of an ancient feast. Honey for the mead, honey with the apples and even honey with the meat. Honey roast ham is not a modern invention.
Almost all Celtic countries have a dessert that's a variation of this: cream, oatmeal, honey, nuts and whiskey.
This is called Cranachan
1/3 cup / 50g flaked almonds
2/3 cup / 50g medium oatmeal
1 1/4 cup / 300 ml whipping cream or double cream
4 tblsp honey, to taste
4 tblsp / 60ml Irish whiskey
1 tblsp / 15ml lemon juice
Toast the almonds and oatmeal in a dry frying pan until golden.
Whip the cream in a bowl: stir in the honey and whiskey. Fold in the almonds and oatmeal, and finally the lemon juice. Fresh fruit can be used to decorate the individual desserts.
Add green food colouring to any or all of the above!
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!
(Ban-ock-tee na fay-lah paw-rig ur-iv)
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Article by Bernadette D'Alton
Thursday, March 3, 2011
March 2011 Events at Cruachan Aí
THIS LISTING IS FOR 2011!
Upcoming events in Roscommon for March include:
- Jewellery & Accessorizing Workshop: with Chatterbox Designs, Boyle. Tues evening, 8th March 7.30pm — 9pm. Cost is €5 per person, which includes a free Raffle ticket and tea/coffee. Have you ever wondered what accessories would look exactly right with that special occasion or favourite outfit? Now you can avail of expert advice and sharing of ideas. Bring along your favourite outfits to accessorise!
- Introduction to Archaeology: Part 2 - Talk & Presentation, with archaeologist John Sinnott on Thursday 10th Feb 8pm to 9.30. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
- Children’s Workshop: Saint Patrick Talk and Crafts, Saturday 12th March 2pm — 4pm. Cost is €4 per person, with a family ticket for just €10! Includes materials & drinks. Learn the fascinating history of Patrick's influence on our local area, while engaged in arts and crafts projects relevant to St Patrick's Day.
- Patchwork Class: with Beatrice Egan, Saturday 19th March 2pm — 4pm. Cost is €7 per person, includes materials, free tea/coffee. Please bring any materials or projects you are working on, complete beginners also very welcome!
- Living History Club: for children of a primary school age. Tuesdays, 4pm — 5.30pm. €4 per child, per session, includes materials & drinks.
This is a recreational club for kids, dedicated to actively engaging local children with the heritage of Rathcroghan through historical re-enactment which will include: demonstrations by experts, hands on research, dramatic recreations, with a programme of fun, practical activities and events throughout the year. The aims are to bring heritage to life for those participating in the Living History Club, and for all those attending events which come of it. We will explore local history and heritage by learning about and creating/using for ourselves the costumes, weaponry, foods, music, art and crafts of different historical periods, and participating in community events through the year.
- Flower Essences Day Course: with Del Eagle, Saturday 26th March 10am—4pm . €50 per person, includes tea/coffee.Have you experienced fear, stress, lack of confidence, difficulty sleeping, anxiety about exams ?
Bach Flower Essences are a very simple method of healing. They work in a gentle and subtle way to help us cope with the emotional states encountered in our daily lives. Anxiety, fear, guilt, insecurity and many other emotional issues can be greatly helped with this gentle method of healing.
Come along to Cruachan Ai on Saturday 26th have a chat, and discover for yourself the 38 Bach Flower remedies - including Five Flower, the 'Rescue Remedy' - which can help you with these issues, and many more. Learn how to use the remedies & select your own remedies, and as an optional extra, you can receive your own personalised and professionally crafted remedy mix at a special 1 day promotion price.
BOOKING NECESSARY: Please book your place with a €20 deposit at Cruachan Ai, before 20th March. By post, send a cheque or postal order made payable to 'Del Eagle' to us at Cruachan Ai Heritage Centre, Tulsk, Co Roscommon. Don't forget to include your name and phone number, and an email address if possible.
Del Eagle trained with the well known author & founder of 'Healing Herbs' Bach Essences, Julian Barnard, at his centre, near Abergavenny, South Wales. For the past number of years, she has been helping many individuals discover the subtle but powerful ways Bach Essences work.
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Tuesday Morning - Irish Conversation social meets in Coffee@Keoghs. 11am to 12.
March 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th.
Every Thursday Morning - Cruachan Crafters in Cruachan Aí Centre, 10am to 12.
March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st.
Second Wednesday of every month – Writers Club in Cruachan Ai Centre, 10am to 12.
March 9th.
Last Wed of every month – Irish Conversation social meets in Tulsk Inn, 7pm to 8.
March 30th.
Friday, January 28, 2011
February 2011 Events in Roscommon
PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS THE 2011 POSTING!
For this year, please see January & February Events 2013
For this year, please see January & February Events 2013
Brigid’s Cross Making Workshop – Tuesday 1st Feb in Cruachan Aí Centre, 4pm – 5. Family friendly activity! Cost is €4 per person, includes materials, Family ticket just €10.
Story of the Cross - A pagan chieftain from the neighbourhood of Kildare was dying. Christians in his household sent for Brigid to talk to him about Christ. When she arrived, the chieftain was raving. As it was impossible to instruct this delirious man, hopes for his conversion seemed doubtful. Brigid sat down at his bedside and began consoling him. As was customary, the dirt floor was strewn with rushes both for warmth and cleanliness. Brigid stooped down and started to weave them into a cross, fastening the points together. The sick man asked what she was doing. She began to explain the cross, and as she talked, his delirium quieted and he questioned her with growing interest. Through her weaving, he converted and was baptized at the point of death. Since then, the cross of rushes has been venerated in Ireland.
Imbolg Candlelight Procession on Rathcroghan – Tuesday 1st Feb, meet at Rathcroghan Car Park, 7pm - 8. Family friendly activity! No charge.
Connect to Ireland's ancient past - Walk where your ancestors walked, honouring the anceint Springtime festival of lights.
St. Brigid, and the Celtic Goddess Brighid, Talk and Presentation with Bernadette D’Alton – Wednesday 2nd February, 8pm – 9.30. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
Part of the Adult Education Programme 2011
Coffee Morning in Aid of National Rehabilitation Centre, Dun Laoghaire, in Coffee@Keoghs – Saturday 5th Feb, starts 10.30am. For further info please call Katherine 086 1733914
If you know of someone who has benefitted from the excellent services of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, please support this worthy event.
Valentine’s Card Making Workshop – Saturday 12th Feb in Cruachan Aí Centre, 2pm to 4. Cost is €8 per person, includes materials.
What better way to say "I Love You" than with a personalised, handmade Valentine's Card?
Traditional Skills Weekend Workshop – Dry Stone Walls Technique and Practice, with local craftsman Andy Rimmer. Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th February, meet at Cruachan Aí Centre. Cost is €75 per day (discounts available, please enquire at Cruachan Aí)
Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre in Tulsk, Co. Roscommon, has organized a series of workshops which take care of the local landscape and farming community, while offering participants a true connection to Irish heritage, and learning of traditional crafts and skills.
First in the series is the Dry Stone Walls workshop, running from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th February. You can be collected from the local airport, bus or train station on Friday evening, accommodated in a self catering cottage in the Medieval village of Tulsk, and on Saturday and Sunday you learn how to build and repair stone walls in the traditional Irish way, under the expert tuition of a local master craftsman.
Why is it different from other traditional skills offerings? Because the workshop is put to sound practical use on a local level, preparing and building stone walls for local farmers, who may otherwise have chosen not to rejuvenate the heritage feature, so integrally iconic to the west of Ireland. Or worse – to replace with modern fencing.
Options to build your ideal weekend package (per person):
• Basic Tuition (Sat 19th and Sun 20th Feb) €75 per day. (30% discount if you book in January!)
• Collection from local bus, train or airport €15-€40, return trip
• Accommodation (self catering) from €25 per night
• Catering, 3 meals per day, €25 per day
As a bonus, participants and their families get to explore the legendary Rathcroghan, the seat of Royalty in the West of Ireland for nearly 2000 years. When you sign up for the weekend workshop, you can explore Irish history through the ages: walk the land of Celtic Warrior Queen Maeve, see where the great bulls fought their epic battle in the Cattle Raid of Cooley, follow the Druid’s quest for knowledge to the sacred triple spring of healing, stand where the gaelic kings stood to fight invading tyranny and receive their rightful crowns.
More information and feedback on the Facebook Events Listing
Introduction to Archaeology Talk & Presentation, with John Sinnott - Thursday 24th Feb in Cruachan Aí Centre, 8pm to 9.30. Cost is €4 per person, includes free tea/coffee.
Part of the Adult Education Programme 2011
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Tuesday Morning - Irish Conversation social meets in Coffee@Keoghs. 11am to 12.
Feb 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd
Every Thursday Morning - Cruachan Crafters in Cruachan Aí Centre, 10am to 12.
Feb 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
Second Wednesday of every month – Writers Club in Cruachan Ai Centre, 10am to 12.
Feb 9th
Last Wednesday of every month – Irish Conversation social meets in Tulsk Inn, 7pm to 8.
Feb 23rd
Cruachan Aí Heritage Centre 071 9639268
Become a Fan on Facebook!
New Web Site and Online Shop
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Heritage Council cuts mean no Living History Club funding in 2011
PRESS RELEASE FROM HERITAGE COUNCIL OF IRELAND
IRELAND’S HERITAGE SECTOR DECIMATED BY PUNITIVE BUDGET CUTS
HERITAGE COUNCIL WARNS OF JOB LOSSES & TOURISM SETBACK
Monday 13th December: Punitive cuts, announced in last Tuesday’s Budget, will decimate the heritage sector and close many small enterprises that are dependent on it. This will have detrimental affects on both our national heritage and the quality of our tourism offering, according to the Heritage Council.
The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s Heritage Unit, which has responsibility for protected structures, including world heritage sites, suffered a 77% budget cut. National Parks and Wildlife, whose remit includes the protection of our natural heritage and running all our national parks, suffered a 56% cut. The Heritage Council, whose role is to protect, preserve and enhance Ireland’s national heritage, suffered a 47% cut. This is on top of a 30% cut in 2010.
Speaking about the situation, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Michael Starrett commented, ‚We are extremely concerned about the disproportionate nature of the cuts to the Heritage sector. While the heritage sector recognises that it must share the burden of the cuts required to tackle the country’s economic crisis, the cuts announced last Tuesday are completely disproportionate in comparison to other Departmental cuts. As a result, the future of heritage initiatives nationwide which have created hundreds of jobs, empowered local communities and enhanced the value of heritage as a tourism resource, are severely threatened".
In 2009, over three million overseas visitors engaged in cultural/historical visits while in Ireland, and spent an estimated €1.9 billion while here. In particular, 76% of tourists identified landscape and nature as the primary reason for visiting Ireland, and heritage is what defines the uniqueness of a country. Funding will now no longer be available to protect and manage our iconic buildings, unique and threatened species, landscapes, cultural collections and rare artifacts, or indeed to support local communities in taking care of their everyday heritage‛.
The majority of counties in Ireland have a County Heritage Plan which is prepared by Local Heritage Fora on behalf of the local people and the Local Authority. Research conducted in September 2010 by economist Jim Power examined the economic value of these County Heritage Plans. The implementation of these plans between 2004 and 2008 at a cost of € 6.15m supported the creation of 1,012 full-time jobs in small businesses across the regions, with an estimated return of €30.1 million to the economy. Between 2004 and 2008, the €6.15m that the Heritage Council invested over 26 local authority areas led to an additional investment of around €10 million from other sources.
Looking at the economic impact of an event such as the Irish Walled Towns Day held in Youghal during National Heritage Week, KPMG analysts found that support
of €16,000 to the Irish Walled Towns Network for the day brought a return of €480,000 in to the local economy.
Our shared heritage is the country’s inheritance that we only get to borrow for a time, enjoy, and benefit enormously from but we have an obligation as a people to pass it on to future generations, Mr. Starrett said. These punitive cuts put at risk, not just jobs which are critically important, but also vulnerable aspects of the nation’s unique natural and cultural heritage which now may be lost for ever to the country.
At this point, the day to day implications of the cuts are hard to fully estimate. What is clear from the Heritage Council’s standing is that we will no longer be in a position to provide support for local community groups, non-governmental organisations, charities, individuals, small businesses, local authorities and others. This will make it extremely difficult for the survival of the wider heritage profession of conservators, thatchers, ecologists, archaeologists, conservation architects, museum curators and other specialist work such as researchers and data collectors.
We cannot talk about the importance of marketing our heritage and promoting tourism if we cut the funding to those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to care for our heritage. The reality is that these unique heritage skills may now be lost to the nation along with the heritage assets and memory that these represent. We will all be poorer economically, environmentally and socially as a result‛, added Mr. Starrett.
Media Queries:
Michelle Guinan, MKC Communications 01 7038604 / 086 3846630
Isabell Smyth, Heritage Council, 0879676889
Note to editor:
·In 2009 €114,000 was offered to 19 building conservation projects. Each grant required at least as much money again to be expended on the project (50% match funding). This represents a minimum two-times multiplier for the spend from the public purse. These grants resulted in the direct employment of at least 5 people per year.
·In 2010 a total of €600,000 was spent on conservation works to significant churches and cathedrals of all denominations. This single scheme created direct employment for 16 people.
·Conservation works to our historic walled town defences (such as in Kilkenny, Cashel, Drogheda, Dublin city, Wexford) ,will be scaled back with the loss of 25 contracting and supervisory jobs.
·A cessation in grants to historic buildings and thatched houses will see this iconic vernacular architecture put at risk and the loss of highly skilled thatchers.
·The Irish Strategic Archaeological Research Programme allocated €2 million to advanced collaborative research in 2008-10. External review considered this scheme to be ‘a spectacular success and a model for other countries to follow’. This created research posts for 25 young researchers making sense of the vast amounts of archaeological information generated during the recent boom. The survival of this scheme is now questionable.
The Heritage Council is the statutory body charged with identifying, protecting, preserving and enhancing Ireland’s national heritage. National heritage includes Monuments, Archaeological objects, Heritage objects, Architectural heritage, Flora, Fauna, Wildlife habitats, Landscapes, Seascapes, Wrecks, Geology, Heritage gardens and parks, and Inland waterways.
Established under the Heritage Act 1995, and operating under the aegis of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Heritage Council provides advice to the Minister, and partners and networks with Local Authorities and a wide range of other organisations and individuals to promote Ireland’s heritage.
Isabell Smyth
Head of Communications & Education
The Heritage Council
Áras na hOidhreachta
Church Lane
Kilkenny
Ireland
T. + 353 (0) 56 777 0777
F + 353 (0) 56 777 0788
E ismyth@heritagecouncil.ie
Web www.heritagecouncil.ie
IRELAND’S HERITAGE SECTOR DECIMATED BY PUNITIVE BUDGET CUTS
HERITAGE COUNCIL WARNS OF JOB LOSSES & TOURISM SETBACK
Monday 13th December: Punitive cuts, announced in last Tuesday’s Budget, will decimate the heritage sector and close many small enterprises that are dependent on it. This will have detrimental affects on both our national heritage and the quality of our tourism offering, according to the Heritage Council.
The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s Heritage Unit, which has responsibility for protected structures, including world heritage sites, suffered a 77% budget cut. National Parks and Wildlife, whose remit includes the protection of our natural heritage and running all our national parks, suffered a 56% cut. The Heritage Council, whose role is to protect, preserve and enhance Ireland’s national heritage, suffered a 47% cut. This is on top of a 30% cut in 2010.
Speaking about the situation, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Michael Starrett commented, ‚We are extremely concerned about the disproportionate nature of the cuts to the Heritage sector. While the heritage sector recognises that it must share the burden of the cuts required to tackle the country’s economic crisis, the cuts announced last Tuesday are completely disproportionate in comparison to other Departmental cuts. As a result, the future of heritage initiatives nationwide which have created hundreds of jobs, empowered local communities and enhanced the value of heritage as a tourism resource, are severely threatened".
In 2009, over three million overseas visitors engaged in cultural/historical visits while in Ireland, and spent an estimated €1.9 billion while here. In particular, 76% of tourists identified landscape and nature as the primary reason for visiting Ireland, and heritage is what defines the uniqueness of a country. Funding will now no longer be available to protect and manage our iconic buildings, unique and threatened species, landscapes, cultural collections and rare artifacts, or indeed to support local communities in taking care of their everyday heritage‛.
The majority of counties in Ireland have a County Heritage Plan which is prepared by Local Heritage Fora on behalf of the local people and the Local Authority. Research conducted in September 2010 by economist Jim Power examined the economic value of these County Heritage Plans. The implementation of these plans between 2004 and 2008 at a cost of € 6.15m supported the creation of 1,012 full-time jobs in small businesses across the regions, with an estimated return of €30.1 million to the economy. Between 2004 and 2008, the €6.15m that the Heritage Council invested over 26 local authority areas led to an additional investment of around €10 million from other sources.
Looking at the economic impact of an event such as the Irish Walled Towns Day held in Youghal during National Heritage Week, KPMG analysts found that support
of €16,000 to the Irish Walled Towns Network for the day brought a return of €480,000 in to the local economy.
Our shared heritage is the country’s inheritance that we only get to borrow for a time, enjoy, and benefit enormously from but we have an obligation as a people to pass it on to future generations, Mr. Starrett said. These punitive cuts put at risk, not just jobs which are critically important, but also vulnerable aspects of the nation’s unique natural and cultural heritage which now may be lost for ever to the country.
At this point, the day to day implications of the cuts are hard to fully estimate. What is clear from the Heritage Council’s standing is that we will no longer be in a position to provide support for local community groups, non-governmental organisations, charities, individuals, small businesses, local authorities and others. This will make it extremely difficult for the survival of the wider heritage profession of conservators, thatchers, ecologists, archaeologists, conservation architects, museum curators and other specialist work such as researchers and data collectors.
We cannot talk about the importance of marketing our heritage and promoting tourism if we cut the funding to those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to care for our heritage. The reality is that these unique heritage skills may now be lost to the nation along with the heritage assets and memory that these represent. We will all be poorer economically, environmentally and socially as a result‛, added Mr. Starrett.
Media Queries:
Michelle Guinan, MKC Communications 01 7038604 / 086 3846630
Isabell Smyth, Heritage Council, 0879676889
Note to editor:
·In 2009 €114,000 was offered to 19 building conservation projects. Each grant required at least as much money again to be expended on the project (50% match funding). This represents a minimum two-times multiplier for the spend from the public purse. These grants resulted in the direct employment of at least 5 people per year.
·In 2010 a total of €600,000 was spent on conservation works to significant churches and cathedrals of all denominations. This single scheme created direct employment for 16 people.
·Conservation works to our historic walled town defences (such as in Kilkenny, Cashel, Drogheda, Dublin city, Wexford) ,will be scaled back with the loss of 25 contracting and supervisory jobs.
·A cessation in grants to historic buildings and thatched houses will see this iconic vernacular architecture put at risk and the loss of highly skilled thatchers.
·The Irish Strategic Archaeological Research Programme allocated €2 million to advanced collaborative research in 2008-10. External review considered this scheme to be ‘a spectacular success and a model for other countries to follow’. This created research posts for 25 young researchers making sense of the vast amounts of archaeological information generated during the recent boom. The survival of this scheme is now questionable.
The Heritage Council is the statutory body charged with identifying, protecting, preserving and enhancing Ireland’s national heritage. National heritage includes Monuments, Archaeological objects, Heritage objects, Architectural heritage, Flora, Fauna, Wildlife habitats, Landscapes, Seascapes, Wrecks, Geology, Heritage gardens and parks, and Inland waterways.
Established under the Heritage Act 1995, and operating under the aegis of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Heritage Council provides advice to the Minister, and partners and networks with Local Authorities and a wide range of other organisations and individuals to promote Ireland’s heritage.
Isabell Smyth
Head of Communications & Education
The Heritage Council
Áras na hOidhreachta
Church Lane
Kilkenny
Ireland
T. + 353 (0) 56 777 0777
F + 353 (0) 56 777 0788
E ismyth@heritagecouncil.ie
Web www.heritagecouncil.ie
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