More about the wetland at Omagh Hostel

Big Changes

Well we are almost there, the wild flower meadow has been sown around the lake and the pond . The reed beds are on the right hand side of this picture not really clear.These will act as a belt and braces to the existing septic tanks. The first pond should have water clean enough to drink out of in one year . Some time I will get around to doing a Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) count and will let you know how we are doing!
In the lower fields to the left hand side of the ponds all the white spots on the ground are the trees that we have planted and despite an onslaught by hares, Soy sheep and new grass most of the trees have survived. We still have to plant up the pond and the lake with oxygenating plants and marginals etc. This will have to wait until the piggy bank is replenished!
Thanks to Gordon Dunn for the photos (Our friendly local passing airman)

CREATIVE CONNECTIONS

ARTISTIC APPROACHES TO CROSS BORDER PARTNERSHIP A ONE DAY CONFERENCE

THURSDAY 28TH AUGUST, 2008 STRULE ARTS CENTRE, OMAGH

This one day conference will explore good relations through the arts and
arts practice as well as showcasing the work of very successful Omagh Sligo
Joint Cultural Events Project.

The Conference programme for the day includes an exhibition of photographs,
performances from the Youth Theatre project and the Polish Theatre project,
short films made by the Travelling Community in Sligo and guest speakers on
themes including arts & disability (Padraig Naughton from Arts & Disability
Ireland), intercultural good practice using the arts (The Equality
Commission for Northern Ireland), photography and film as a creative meduim
for an oral community, youth theatre and the visual arts.

For further information please contact -:

Susan Glass
Project Coordinator
Omagh/Sligo Joint Cultural Events Programme
Omagh District Council
c/o Strule Arts Centre
Townhall Square
Omagh, BT78 1BL
tel: 028 (048) 82245321 [ext 405] / fax: 028 (048) 82240774

Questions of the Great Grey Ones

Words from the Vagabond

When the world was young and all was new

Did you feel it as a whole,a part of you?

Experienced it all,bloody red to iced blue?

Are you one of the few?

Have you seen the eldritch skies,

The sombre clouds with tears in their eyes

And heard the wind tell you cold lies?

Did you ask your "Whys"

Have you looked in the wild one's face,

The strange beasts in their lonely place

And felt yourself out of the race?

Did wonderment start apace?

Have you felt the rock 'neath your feet,

The soft moss yield and retreat,

Smelt the land and it was sweet?

Are you really complete?

Have you learned the lesson yet

From the cold,the heat,the wet

Or is your mind like concrete set?

Are you still in life's debt?

Is there a place on some far hill or ness

Where there are neither vital or useless

Questions whose answers you must guess

"No" or "Yes"

Beaghmore Stone Circles

Some of my friends went to visit the Beaghmore Stone Circles to see the sun come up on the morning of the solstice. I didn't go myself as I was still reeling from the after effects of a flue. What a perfect morning,



Discovered during peat cutting in the 1940s the site at Beaghmore consists of 7 stone circles. All of the rings are associated with cairns and a stone row runs towards these cairns.



It is possible that Neolithic occupation and cultivation preceded the erection of burial cairns and ceremonial circles and alignments: some irregular lines and heaps of boulders resembling field-fences or field-clearance may predate the ritual structures.



At some stage peat started to form over the site, and it may conceivably be that the cairns and rows were erected in a futile propitiatory attempt to restore fertility to the soil by attracting back the fading sun.

We as locals feel lucky that we can still just go and visit there ! For more information on the site check out this link here

Five ducks, nine hens, one rooster

We went to the farmers market in Dungannon and purchased our new fowl for the palatial hen house.Being new to the game I wasn't too sure what to expect . We got there about 10.30 and were surprised at the size of the market, and in the very words of bardster Colm Sands "you could have bought anything from an anchor to a pin!"


Parked randomly all over a big field were hundreds of cars, vans and lorries all busy selling like there was going to be no tomorrow. Amongst this chaos were scattered the fowl breeders and sellers. Where does one start?We wandered aimlessly for awhile until I started to get tired (recently on my feet from a bad dose of the flue ). Right I thought, lets pick a face that looks like its a bit honest...ended up talking to Trevor who seemed like he didn't really want to sell his ducks at all,we bought two runner ducks from him, well actually drakes, as he kindly pointed out. Why drakes? well they were cheap and are supposedly good for keeping down slugs and snails.


Having discovered the knack of purchasing, we then went on and acquired 9 point of lay pullets , two others (a rooster and hen) I thought they were quite pretty...I am sure there was another reason for buying them..... and finally 3 duckling chicks. Not a bad start. We drove carefully home and they were introduced to their new home . Very quickly a pecking order was established,runner ducks get to bully everyone, the hen of the couple, gets to bully the nine point of lay pullets, the rooster is ignored by all and the wee ducklings get chased by everyone. Up early this morning checking for eggs, none.....hopefully I was right about trying to pick an honest face! Updates to follow.