Museum exhibitions

The Museum exhibitions project is implemented through The Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership Scheme. The LPS is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s programme to conserve and enhance some of the region’s most treasured landscapes. The LPS runs from September 2015 until August 2018.

The total budget for this project is £1,000

This project aims to inspire a sense of place and belonging to the people that live in the LP area and provide an educational resource that can be shared around the groups of South Armagh. The outcome will be a greater understanding of local history and of where people came from, resulting in a greater sense of people belonging to thewhole community.

The project aims to regain the oral tradition around the local history that has been lost in many communities. The project aims to increase the participation of the local communities from South Armagh in local history.

Project Updates

Saving our Stories 1 Day Workshop

Update published on: November 10, 2018

As part of the Winter Solstice Festival, in partnership with Oral History Network of Ireland, the Ring of Gullion Partnership held a one day workshop on how to collect oral history.

The course was attended by 10 members of the community and offered a basic introduction to all aspects in the life cycle of an oral history project from commissioning to disseminating and archiving.

It introduced concepts of best practice in terms of ethical and legal considerations and provided an opportunity for participants to raise questions and concerns about past or future projects that they have been involved in.

‘At Slieve Gullion’s Foot’ Goes Live Event

Update published on: December 7, 2018

As part of the Winter Solstice Festival 2018, two attendees of the Oral History Workshop Tom Murphy and Brian Tomany founders of the At Slieve Gullion’s Foot Facebook page, organised an event to share some of the history collected through their hugely successful page. The night included never-before-seen photos, storytelling from Seamus Murphy and poetry from Malachy Ó Raifeartaigh in Dromintee Primary School.

The two men and the community of the area have built the facebook page to be hugely successful, which looks at the rich social, political, railway, sporting, ecclesiastical, literary and musical history of Jonesborough and Dromintee.

Set up on 21 August 2015 for the purpose of documenting and spreading awareness of the rich social, political, railway, sporting, ecclesiastical, literary and musical history of the Jonesborough and Dromintee area of County Armagh, Ireland the page has gone from strength to strength.

Women in South Armagh event

Update published on: December 6, 2018

As part of Winter Solstice Festival 2018, Una Walsh organised a Women in South Armagh event in Culloville Community centre and was joined by a number of guests which includes the very talented Colleen Savage, who will be performing a few songs on the night. This was a celebration of the rich social history of the area with a night recognising and celebrating the immense contribution of women to South Armagh stories with exhibitions and photographs, music and song.

The outstanding work of some of the Carrickmacross Lace Women was on display on the night. A fascinating presentation was provided by Rosie Bell of development and history of Carrickmacross Lace in the south Armagh area. Everyone was encouraged to share some of their stories to make it a magical night.

Slieve Gullion Language Project

Update published on: November 17, 2018

Facilitated by Séamus Murphy, language enthusiast and Réamonn Ó Ciaráin, Manager Gael Linn. This project has had two very successful special sessions examining the unique vocabulary and a way of talking around Slieve Gullion and south Armagh. The first session was in Tí Chulainn as part of the Michael J. Murphy Winter School 2018 and the second in Crossmaglen library as part of their Festival of Learning 2019.

Did you ever get a sceilp, a dunch, a dúdóg or a gonc?

Did you ever cap a cow, langle a goat, brer a ditch, build an adag or coup a yoke (in the shuck)?

Were you ever called an amadán, gulpin, bawkie, shibby, snathy, jaurie, gom, caldarach or a wee skitter?

• Were you ever in the Clawnyeh, Borrawolly, Flurry’s bog,
Gleann Dubh, Lisavaney, Ballyclanowen or the Móin Ríbe?
Where’s the New Line, the Fingerpost, the Big Bridge, the Broad Road?

• How did your Granny pronounce Dromintee, Faughil, Mulholland, Gallagher, O’Hare, Lenihan, Collins, Kenny or Keenan, floor, board, door?

• Did you ever let a golder out of you – or a broim?

• When you were a wee girseach or gasún, did you play in the back street? Did you get covered in clabair? Did you cár when your mammy washed your face?

Do you know any strange local sayings? Can you explain where they came from?

“Boot on your goat, there’s a buck at the border”
“Up on your bike for Skull Hill”
“Die dog or ***** the licence”

What about great family nicknames? Who was Paddy the Racker, Mickey Fidge, Francie Frink, Benny the Go, Biddy the Blow, Paddy the Pearl? Michael J. Murphy was often known as Mickey Buck around here.

Where did Irish linger longest, why do we still pronounce English as Shakespeare did? Can you add to the list above? Who do you know that could?

Help expand the list above by posting to the Michael J. Murphy facebook page, or email it to any or all of these: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].

The Women’s Story

Update published on: March 7, 2019

Una Walsh and the women of South Armagh provided an evening of conversations in celebration of International Women’s Day 2019.

THE WOMEN’S STORY- “WOMEN – The forgotten names”

Una celebrated the women whose names have been forgotten in the writing of our history.

Una has spearheaded Women’s Health Community Work in south Armagh for years. Una, a Mullaghbane native, is one of the most passionate people in south Armagh.

On the 8th March Colleen Savage and a number of local singers from the area provided an outstanding showcasing some of the music and talent from the area.