Celebrating 20 years - Carntogher Community Association

20
Celebrating
Years
• CARNTOGHER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION •
‘Carntogher
– A Kaleidoscope of Endeavour’
(President of Ireland Mary McAleese
speaking during her visit in October 2011)
See back page for details of our
EMERALD BALL
Celebration Event - Saturday 16th March 2013

T: 028 7954 9978 E: eolas@ancarn.org
The story
so far
Please
Excuse me
What is your
name
My name is
Áine
Bye for now
Cheers!
Good night
Good luck
We l done
I’ l see you
Take it handy
Le do thoil | le duh hi l
Gabh mo leithscéal
| gu muh leshkayel
C’ainm atá ort?
| kenyim utaa ort?
Áine an t-ainm atá orm
| Áine uh tenyim utaa o rim
Slán go fói l | slaan guh foa-i l
Sláinte! | slaan-cha
Oíche mhaith | eehya whyh
Ádh mór | aaa more
Maith thú | Myh hoo
Chífidh mé thú
| Chi f-ha ma hoo
Tóg go bog é
| togg guh bugg ae
Tóg leat mé!
Fáilte go dtí Siopa An Carn
Open: Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5pm; Sat 9.30am - 4pm
Shop, Post Office and Community Library, internet
and busines services, conference facilities and
computer training suite as we l as a programme of
leisure, recreational and accredited courses. To find
out more about An Carn visit www.ancarn.org
Shop online now at:
www.siopaancarn.com
132 Tirkane Road, Maghera, Co. De ry BT46 5NH
Tóg leat mé! Take me home!
...sa bhialann
Give Irish a
go in the
...restaurant
“Carntogher Community Association
and An Carn has made my transition
to rural life a very positive and
rewarding one. I have met so many
fantastic people in the community,
through attending the many different
courses facilitated there, and gained
some new skills along the way as well!
I feel An Carn is an excellent resource
for the existing community, potential
new comers, or visitors to the area.“
Joanne Diamond
Saor in Aisce FREE
an carn
6pp DL leaflet new2.indd 1 4/4/12 11:04:26 AM
The last 50 years have seen
a remarkable Irish cultural
renaissance - the revival of
Gaelic sport, traditional music
and dance and the ever-growing
revival of the Irish language
have all helped forge a modern
Irish identity that has brought
about a new self-confidence to
communities throughout Ireland.
Artist impression of new capital projects –
Self Catering Houses & An Coire Arts Centre
“As a young person, Carntogher has
benefited me in so many ways over the
years. Not only have I been able to practice
and improve my use of the Irish language
but I believe Carntogher has inspired
me to continue this love of the language
into further education. Carntogher has
provided me with jobs, experiences and
the chance to meet great people from all
over the country.”
Grainne O’Kane
Other services
available at An Carn:
Siopa An Carn –
Craft/book shop
Tirkane Post Office/ Lottery
Conference/
Meeting room facilities
The forging out of a strong cultural
identity has played a major role in helping
certain communities to thrive and remain
viable when other areas have suffered
depopulation and withered. The GAA has
been central to this cultural revival and
it is impossible to imagine rural County
Derry without the local rivalries and
cultural identity that the GAA has given us.
This strong cultural identity and selfbelief
has helped Carntogher Community
Association deliver a wide range of
community projects over the past 20 years.
These projects have included the local post
office, a programme of training & leisure
and recreational courses, Irish-language
classes, music and dance classes,
workshops and events, youth activities,
an annual Feis, Environmental / heritage
projects, arts activities, an annual summer
festival, Volunteer Initiatives, Health & well
being activities. These activities are
designed to develop the community
infrastructure and vitality needed to keep
young people and young families within
the area and to provide services to support a
viable community.
Whilst most of its adult activities are delivered
primarily in English, Carntogher delivers a
programme of youth activities in both Irish and
English. The Association has a special role, as
one of the very few community organisations
that caters for the young and growing Irishspeaking
community locally. Carntogher
has become recognised as one of the most
successful examples in reinstating our native
language and redefining a new era where
Irish is once again spoken as a community
language in rural county Derry. This is an
achievement that everyone within the area can
be proud of – both Irish speakers and English
speakers alike.
Recreational/
Accredited Courses
Carntogher
Community Library
Photocopying/Faxing Service
Volunteer
opportunities
Irish language classes
Music Classes
Youth Initiatives
Access NI Registered Body

The
Future
Carntogher is now at an important
milestone in its development and
has recently secured funding for a
range of projects that will reinforce
the strong cultural identity and
viability of the local community well
into the 21st century. We would
like to invite the local community
to get involved in supporting and
delivering these important projects:
“Since my first involvement with
Carntogher/An Carn 5 years ago I have
come in contact will a lot of people with a
great interest in all things Irish including
the Language, Drama & Music to name
a few. Prior to joining the Irish language
classes I only had a limited knowledge but
as a result of my participation in 2010 I
managed to pass my GCSE Irish. I would
recommend if you are at a loose end
there is plenty to get involved in at An
Carn – indoor and outdoor.”
Colm McCusker
An Coire – creative arts
hub
The word “Coire” has a range of meanings
including “cauldron” and “amphitheatre”
and it is intended that this will become
a creative focus for our community to
develop and refine its identity and cultural
expression. An Coire will be located
within the former business units which
will be converted as an arts centre and
multi-purpose venue that will provide
the opportunity for the local creative
talent to flourish. On the ground floor
it will consist of an arts studio, a craft
workshop, a multi-media studio and a
small intimate venue for small functions,
music sessions etc. On the first floor it
will consist of a multi-purpose space that
will seat approximately 200-240 people for
drama, music performances or film in an
auditorium format with retractable seating.
With the seating retracted the upper floor
will provide a flat floor, suitable for a range
of uses including keep fit classes, dancing,
art exhibitions etc.
Self-Catering
Accommodation
We are constructing
two, three-bedroom
self-catering holiday
units that will be
available for letting to
tourist visitors to the
area. They are an important aspect to our
cultural-tourism strategy and will allow us
the ability to run residential courses and
events in a range of areas including
language, music, dancing archaeology,
the environment , history, outdoor
pursuits, hill walking etc.
“An Carn has been a great asset to
young families over the past number
of years. Our girls have really enjoyed
the wide variety of activities on offer
- from cookery, arts & crafts, music
lessons, ballet and much more! The
Carntogher Community Association
has fostered a real pride in our culture
with the provision of language classes
and strong support of the Naiscoil and
Gaelic club.”
Patrick McEldowney
Roof space Conversion at
the An Carn Building
We are converting the roof-space within the
An Carn Building to provide additional office
space for the projects delivered at An Carn
and to provide additional seminar / meeting
rooms to allow us to cater for conferences
and deliver an extended range of courses
and classes. The current programme will
be extended and will include a full range of
computer courses as well as a varied range of
leisure and recreational courses suitable for
all ages including Clait, Sage Accounts/Payroll,
Digital Photography, Graphic design, Internet
& Email, Painting, Pottery/ceramics, traditional
crafts, self development classes, back to
work programme, health awareness training,
dancing, drama clubs, Cookery, language
classes – Spanish/French/Irish to name a few.
If anyone has an idea for any new courses
that they would like to see delivered at An
Carn we would encourage them to come
forward and we will do our best to include
this in an extended range of courses.
Community
Allotments
Part of the Drumnaph
project involves
the development of
allotments and these
will be located close
to the farm. The
development works for these allotments has
already started with expected completion date
March 2013. Allotments and space within a polytunnel
is available at a nominal price for anyone
who wishes to grow their own vegetables .
We will be organising information and advice
sessions on a range of areas for anyone wishing
to get involved.
Anyone interested in any of the above
projects or would like to offer ideas please
contact Claire Doherty by email Claire.
doherty@ancarn.org or telephone 028
7954 9978 if you are interested in getting
involved.
www.
ancarn.org
Drumnaph Nature
Reserve
We have recently purchased the former
O’Loughlin farm at Drunmaph to provide
an extension to the existing Drumnaph
Nature Reserve. This land presents a
major opportunity to extend the ancient
woodland and wetland habitats and to
provide a community resource for the
local area.
The woodland contained within the farm
is ancient remnant woodland - one of
the last remaining parts of an ancient
woodland of “Glean Con Cadháin” that
stretched from the foothills of Slieve
Gallon to Carntogher Mountain. This vast
ancient forest survived until the Plantation
of Ulster and was removed during the 17th
and early 18th centuries to help construct
ships for a fledgling British empire. The
Drumnaph woodland represents a time
capsule of the rich and varied ecosystem
of this ancient woodland and an important
part of our natural heritage.
It is proposed to improve the walkways
within the existing reserve and to extend
these through the newly purchased lands
to provide up to 10KM of walks for the use
of everyone within the local community.
As part of the overall project, we propose
developing a fitness trail consisting of
a range of fixed timber framed exercise
equipment that can be used by anyone
(including local GAA teams) for general
fitness training. We also propose
developing a children’s play area alongside
this fitness trail so that anyone using the
trail can also bring their children with
them to use the play area whilst they avail
of the training facilities.
It is also proposed to develop a range
of facilities around the farm buildings
including volunteering and training
facilities for a range of areas including
stone wall building, woodland crafts, a
native tree / plant nursery, possible arts /
craft / coppicing business, and classroom
accommodation for environmental studies
by local schools and universities.
We would like to encourage anyone who
has an interest in helping to plan and
deliver this project
to make contact with
either Claire Doherty
or the project
co-ordinator Réamaí
Mathers at An Carn.

EMERALD BALL
The Wild Duck, Portglenone
Saturday 16th March 2013
an carn
Cava Reception 7.15pm.
Meal served 7.45pm Sharp
Dress Code Smart.
Theme Emerald
Host: Lynette Fay.
Guest Speaker: Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh
Music: Blackthorn
Ticket Price: £40.00
(Students: £30.00)
20
Celebrating
Years
• CARNTOGHER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION •
CARNTOGHER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INVITES YOU TO AN
Information session and discussion
Carntogher Community Association and The Woodland Trust are developing over 200 acres
of land for the benefit of wildlife and community in Carntogher. We want your ideas.
Examples:
• Community Trim Trial/Out Door Gym for local clubs and individuals
• Community allotments gardens
• 7 Kilometres of walkways / running track
• Opportunities to learn traditional skills
• Educational opportunities for schools.
Also information on current and future projects including:
*An Coire Arts Centre *An Carn Conference Centre *Self Catering project.
Thursday 28th February 2013
In Slaughtneil Hall 8.00pm
Fáilte roimh achan duine / Everyone welcome
Your community - your future! We want to hear from you