Cuimhneamh

16/07/2026

28/06/2026

CUIMHNEAMH OPPOSES CASTLETOWN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Slieve Gullion heritage body Cuimhneamh has lent its support to the campaign against housing around Dún Dealgan, the ancient fortress site known as Cúchulainn’s Castle at Castletown, Dundalk. The heritage group said:

“In a proper democracy no one should be forced to choose between homes and heritage. Dún Dealgan is an inextricable part of the history, pre-history, mythology and folklore of the Plain of Muirhevna, the Cooley Peninsula and all the hills and valleys that surround Slieve Gullion.

Plans for a massive estate of more than 1000 houses are simply monstrous, and do not become less so just because the developers, Grandspect Ltd, have thrown in mention of a token “Heritage Park”. On a site like this the landscape itself is an integral element of heritage: once it is destroyed, the other elements lose some of their value. It cannot just be repackaged and sold back to us by a development company which regards heritage not as a value but as an obstacle or problem to be surmounted or got around.

We urge our members and supporters and all the people of the Slieve Gullion area to make the trip to Castletown and see the scene of this proposed desecration for themselves. We hope that they will then support the UPLIFT petition below and we would ask as many as possible to make their own submission against the proposal to Louth County Council."

The proposed construction of over 1,000 homes beside the site risks permanently damaging the visual character, heritage value, and archaeological integrity of the area. There are also longstanding local accounts of possible underground tunnels and archaeological features beneath the castle grounds t...

25/06/2026

REMINDER for this evening folks: AGM at 7pm. If anyone has an interest in local history and culture, or in the works of local folklorist, Michael J Murphy, why not come along for a bit of craic and some light refreshments 😃

19/06/2026

Last opportunity to reserve tickets for our Film Night tomorrow evening, featuring a newly restored episode of 'Ulster in Focus' covering Michael J. Murphy's life as a folklore collector. The evening will conclude with 'The Shocking Truth' a film created by the children of Dromintee Primary School, inspired by the works of Murphy.

Cuimhneamh are delighted to announce, in conjunction with PRONI and the Nerve Centre, a special screening event at Tí Chulainn Mullaghbawn, celebrating two important cultural voices, Michael J. Murphy and Sam Hanna Bell on Saturday 20th of June at 7pm.

Opening the triple bill is a newly restored episode from the BBC NI series Ulster in Focus, featuring Murphy reflecting on his work as a folklore collector. Filmed in South Armagh, the programme offers a rich celebration of local people, their stories and traditions.

This will be followed by a BBC Radio Ulster interview with Sam Hanna Bell, in which he reflects on his writing life and his role as a Features Producer with BBC NI, complemented by a screening of archival footage.

The programme concludes with the screening of 'The Shocking Truth', a short film created by pupils from Dromintee Primary School, inspired by the work of Michael J. Murphy.

The evening will also feature contributions by our own secretary, Kevin 'Ned' Murphy.

Tickets are free and open to all, but booking is required:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/now-were-talking-michael-j-murphy-and-sam-hanna-bell-on-screen-tickets-1988404521450

14/06/2026

📽️ 🎞️ This coming week sees a celebration of two of Northern Ireland’s most important cultural voices, Michael J. Murphy and Sam Hanna Bell, through a series of special screenings as part of Docs Ireland 🔍🎬

Screenings include a newly restored episode from the BBC NI series Ulster in Focus — featuring Murphy reflecting on his work as a folklore collector — and a BBC Radio Ulster interview with Sam Hanna Bell, in which he reflects on his writing life and his role as a Features Producer with BBC Northern Ireland. The programme concludes with the screening of 'The Shocking Truth', a short film created by pupils from Dromintee Primary School, inspired by the work of Michael J. Murphy.

🗓️ Thursday, 18 June, 1pm–3pm
📍 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast

🗓️ Saturday, 20 June, 7pm–8.30pm
📍 Ti Chulainn, Mullaghbawn

👉 Book tickets (registration required): https://nervecentre.org/whats-on/now-were-talking-at-docs-ireland

These events are delivered as part of Now We're Talking, a partnership between Nerve Centre and PRONI.

12/06/2026

Cuimhneamh is an organisation with the aims of raising awareness of the life and work of Michael J. Murphy - writer; broadcaster; folkorist and chronicler of the lives of ordinary communities in the Slieve Gullion, Rathlin and Tyrone areas.

04/06/2026

Cuimhneamh are delighted to announce, in conjunction with PRONI and the Nerve Centre, a special screening event at Tí Chulainn Mullaghbawn, celebrating two important cultural voices, Michael J. Murphy and Sam Hanna Bell on Saturday 20th of June at 7pm.

Opening the triple bill is a newly restored episode from the BBC NI series Ulster in Focus, featuring Murphy reflecting on his work as a folklore collector. Filmed in South Armagh, the programme offers a rich celebration of local people, their stories and traditions.

This will be followed by a BBC Radio Ulster interview with Sam Hanna Bell, in which he reflects on his writing life and his role as a Features Producer with BBC NI, complemented by a screening of archival footage.

The programme concludes with the screening of 'The Shocking Truth', a short film created by pupils from Dromintee Primary School, inspired by the work of Michael J. Murphy.

The evening will also feature contributions by our own secretary, Kevin 'Ned' Murphy.

Tickets are free and open to all, but booking is required:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/now-were-talking-michael-j-murphy-and-sam-hanna-bell-on-screen-tickets-1988404521450

20/05/2026

Fantastic opportunity for any local writers wanting to develop their skills and learn about Michael J. Murphy's work.

🤔 Are you curious about making work in dialogue with place, tradition, and fellow artists? ✍️📖

We are delivering a writers’ retreat in partnership with PRONI for the Now We’re Talking project — two days in the countryside of South Armagh, exploring the landscape, folklore, and history of the area. 🌳🐑

The retreat is inspired by the lives and work of novelist Sam Hanna Bell (1909–1990) and broadcaster and folklorist Michael J. Murphy (1913–1996), two writers both raised in their parents’ native homeplaces in the borderlands of Down and Armagh. 📚📖

The sessions will involve...

✍️ Guided exercises to instigate writing of your own, in any form.
📝 Focused space for working alone and in pairs (letting both solitude and dialogue fuel our writing).
📖 Using invention and ethnography, fiction and creative non-fiction, to make original pieces of writing through the lens of these writers and their places.
👋 Learning about the lives of Sam Hanna Bell and Michael J. Murphy.

You can apply if you...

✅ Are age 18+ (from 19 June 2026).
🏠 Live on the Island on Ireland.
🗓️ Are available from 19–21 June when the retreat will take place
✏️ Work with text in any form.
🤔 Are curious about making work in dialogue with place, tradition, & fellow artists.
📍 Are at any stage of your writing journey.

⏰ Applications are open. Deadline to apply is Monday 1 June 2026, end of day.

This retreat is funded by Nerve Centre in partnership with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland as part of the Now We’re Talking project. The project was made possible through a grant from Archives Revealed, a partnership programme between The National Archives, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

👉 Learn more and apply now: https://bit.ly/42I0uRl

The National Lottery Heritage Fund | The National Archives

30/03/2026