Set in Stone:
A Lough Corrib community explores and celebrates its ancient landscape through art, music, science, folklore, heritage events, an interpretative walk, and discussion of future challenges.
“Watching over Lough Corrib and the landscape, like a great giant defying time”
An Oughterard community initiative funded under the Galway 2020 Small Towns Big Ideas Programme, and by a range of local partners
DATES
19 June – 23 August
VENUES
Oughterard Courthouse, the landscape around Oughterard including Aughnanure Castle, Inchigoill Island and the Cloosh Hills “Peaks of Rusheeny”, Brigit’s Garden, and Cnoc Suain
LOCATION
Galway County
Summary
‘Set in Stone’ is a community-based celebration and exploration of the hidden ancient landscape of Oughterard through a series of public events allowing adults and children to interact and question our prehistoric roots.
Discoveries made by local archeologist Bill Daly have led to a huge interest in our forgotten landscape. He has opened our eyes to the links between the local hills, Lough Corrib and Aughnanure Castle. It is fascinating to see our ancient terrain rising up before us, and places that were of little interest coming to life.
All the events in our programme are in response to these amazing findings. We will be celebrating Bill’s work throughout the summer with art exhibitions, talks and discussions, an interpretive walk and a day of celebration at Aughnanure Castle with music, poetry and the exploration of food past and present.
The final weekend of our nine week long programme turns to face the future by collaborating with Corrib Beo to present a series of talks and discussions exploring how the treatment and use of the landscape and of Lough Corrib have changed since ancient times, and we will investigate ways of meeting the challenges we face for the future. The project will end on the 23rd August with a celebratory heritage trip to the island of Inchigoill.
Summary of events
19th June 2020: Children’s Art Exhibition showing their response to our ancient and modern landscape at Oughterard Courthouse 12 – 5pm.
20th June 2020: Official Launch of Events by Virginia Teehan, CEO of The Heritage Council, with unveiling of Log boat and Presentation on the Bronze Age landscape of Oughterard, by Bill Daly 7pm.
21st June 2020: An interactive Family Day at the Oughterard Courthouse. 12 – 5pm.
26th June – 5th July 2020: Art exhibition by uachtarARTS -“Rianta – Traces of our Past”. Opening 7pm at Oughterard Courthouse.
5th July 2020: Outdoor Art Market at Oughterard Courthouse. 12 – 5pm
10th – 19th July 2020: Exhibition of new work by local artists Kathleen Furey and Leah Beggs. “Cuimhní – Memories”. Opening 7pm at Oughterard Courthouse.
24th July – 3rd August 2020: Exhibition by artists of AKIN. “Aimsithe – Discovered”. Opening 7pm at Oughterard Courthouse
7th – 20th August 2020: Exhibition of ancient artefacts and structures of the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages. “Amlínte – Timelines”. Opening 7pm at Oughterard Courthouse.
15th– August 2020: Family Day at Aughnanure Castle. A celebration of our ancient landscape through Music, Poetry, Talks, Food, and Folklorist Eddie Lenihan. 12 – 5 pm.
16th August 2020: Guided walk of the ancient features of our landscape. Lead by local historian Bill Daly and Eddie Lenihan, register at the Courthouse at 10:30 am.
21st – 22rd August 2020: Talks and Discussions on Facing the Future of the Corrib Country led by Corrib Beo, includes local community voices, and leading experts and activists
21st August 2020: Facing the Future of the Corrib Country: setting the scene with Duncan Stewart and with local community voices, at the Courthouse, 7pm
22nd August 2020: Paths for Water and Agriculture, and the Future of Farming around the Corrib, beginning at the Courthouse, 10:00 am
22nd August 2020: Corrib Ecology & Conservation, and Ecology and Sustainability in action, at Brigit’s Garden, 2:30 pm
22nd August 2020: The Corrib Economy and Landscape at Cnoc Suain, 7pm
23rd August 2020: Celebratory Heritage trip to Inchigoill.
(Full details of events are available at www.oughterardcourthouse.com and at www.corribbeo.ie)
Photo credit: Jess Walsh
