Maghera Heritage Centre
Maghera Heritage and Cultural Centre hosted a relaxed evening of traditional music and song last night – Saturday 29th October. Mick McElkenny, Phillip Hutchinson and Laurence Moran brought back memories of earlier years of neighbourly get-togethers among friends.
Alice McMurray joined the trio for a few nostalgic songs and we must thank everyone involved for their input – particularly Pat Rafferty for organising the evening and Annette Rafterty for the welcome refreshments.
An Entrepreneur born on the streets of Maghera.
When I was around 5 years old my dad had a joinery workshop on Glen Road. There were always a few trimmings and cut-offs lying around from the various wooden products he’d make. From these, myself and my friends would make bows and arrows and toy guns. We’d also steal a few sheets and planks to make tree houses and huts. If anyone was to dig up around what is now Fairhill Park they’d find the remnants of these old huts. This used to be a field in which we spent our summer months play fighting around the ruins of the old Fairhill school.
One day the entrepreneur in me kicked in and we discovered a wonderful use for the left-overs from my Dad’s work. At this time central heating was only for a few futuristic people. Everyone else had a fire and used sticks and coal to heat their homes. Myself and my neighbour filled turf bags with sticks. We got my dad to lift them onto a wheelbarrow and off we went on our trade mission along the houses of Glen close and Glen road.
Our customers were more than happy to hand over £1 for a turf bag of fire-lighting wonder. In a day’s work it wasn’t uncommon to get £10 – £15 between us. Although our entrepreneurial skills were working overtime at this young age, our savings and investments’ strategies needed some work. We’d take our sales for that day and make our way straight to Patsy Cassidy’s shop. (Now Kelly’s Eurospar). In those days £5 or £10 would buy enough sweets, ice lollies and lucky bags to cater for a party of around 30 children.
I loved my early days in Maghera. It was a wonderful, friendly town where everyone felt like family. I owe my current business skills and bad teeth to the story above
PUBLISHING
Maghera Historical Society and Heritage & Cultural Centre have published two books so far and two issues of their bi-annual magazine ‘Maghera Times’, with the third issue due out in November. We welcome any suggestions or submissions for future publications. If you are an author, poet or historian with interesting stories or information relating to Maghera or the surrounding area we would love to hear from you to discuss the possibility of publishing your work.
It was standing room only at Maghera Heritage and Cultural Centre on Thursday night, 27th October, when locally-born Professor Dan Bradley returned to his roots to deliver a fascinating lecture on ancient Irish DNA. Professor Bradley has led a team, at Trinity College Dublin, which sequenced the first ancient genomes from Ireland shedding new light on the genesis of Celtic populations.
The science of genetics is really the science of inheritance and provides a wealth of information about ourselves and our ancestry. Using a technique called whole genome analysis, the team examined the remains of a stone-age woman farmer, one of the first farmers in Ireland, who was buried over 5,000 years ago in Ballynahatty near Belfast and those of three men buried in Rathlin Island during the bronze age – between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago. The results give a fascinating glimpse into where we came from who we are and what characteristics we share as a people
Among many fascinating observations Prof. Bradley illustrated how early Irish farmers were similar to southern Europeans. It also appears that with the advent of the Bronze Age genetic patterns changed quite dramatically as newcomers from the Black Sea area of eastern Europe settled in Ireland. Prof. Bradley also observed that Ireland has the world’s highest frequencies of genetic variations pertaining to lactase persistence – the ability to drink milk into adulthood – and certain genetic diseases, including one of excessive iron retention called haemochromatosis. This appears to have resulted from the Bronze Age migration which eventually arrived on Irish shores
Prof. Bradley was closely questioned in a follow up Q and A session which continued over tea and late into the evening. Thanks to Dan and his team, the question of who we are may not be as simple as many of us thought. Many thanks also to those involved in arranging the evening. In particular, to Prof. Bradley who gave so generously of his time and also Annette Rafferty who yet again provided the welcome refreshments.
CIVIL PARISH OF MAGHERA FIELD NAME RECORDING PROJECT
This heritage and community initiative has evolved as part of our initiative Maghera Roots. As part of that project we have identified six farmers from the Maghera area, all of whom are willing to participate in sharing with us their stories of how they remember the farming practices carried on in the mid 1900s. A key element of the project is to identify and record each farm as they remember it, the location, field sizes and the specific field name.
In the earlier times each farm field was referred to by a coded name rather than by a number, for example ‘Rock Field’ (where rock was quarried for drains and buildings) or ‘Clover Hill’ (because of its ability to grow an abundance of clover) Naming, recording and archiving each field as it would have been then is a very significant part of our farming history and must be passed on to our next generation thus adding to the conservation of our shared heritage.
As a further development of the Maghera Roots Project we plan to involve the wider farming community by consulting with them and asking for their co-operation in helping us to identify and record as much as possible of the greater farming spread encompassing an area which will take the Civil Parish of Maghera with its thirty-nine townlands.
Including farmers and their families, as well as all those interested in the project, in helping to gather information and compile a register of field names will lead to greater community interaction and appreciation of this local heritage. To ensure the accuracy of the recorded details we will be asking for farmers within the area to contact us and give us their help in making the project a success. Volunteers from the local community will be enlisted to help with the various stages during the process, thus enabling them to learn new skills and all taking part will be included in the decision-making process in planning the development of the overall project.
At a time of rapid changes in farming practices and rural ownership patterns it is vital that this knowledge is recorded and preserved before it disappears forever. We will be gathering information, stories and folklore about individual fields as well as documenting their name and location.
Similar projects are on going in Counties Kilkenny, Louth and Meath.
If you are interested in becoming involved or have information and memories to share please contact the project co-ordinators, James Armour and Maeve O’Neill at the Heritage & Cultural Centre T. 028 7954 9835 or E. info@maghera-heritage
FROM THE BEAGH TO MAGHERA: Growing up on a family Farm in the ’50s
By: James Armour
Editor: Maeve O’Neill
Publisher: Maghera Historical Society, Maghera, ©2015.
From the Beagh to Maghera is a first-hand account of growing up on a family farm outside Maghera in the 1940s and ‘50s. Set in the moment when the tractor replaced the horse and mechanisation changed farming in Ireland forever, it poignantly captures, with a warm heart the joys and struggles of farming life in a close-knit rural community as seen through the eyes of a child who grew up in that period. This book is firmly rooted in a particular time and a particular place. It is a heartfelt glimpse into an era that is lost forever and that still tugs on our heartstrings.
The author explains how his great-great-grandfather came to farm at the Beagh in 1866. Since then four generations of the Armour family have continued the tradition. From the Spring ploughing, harrowing and sowing to the Autumn threshing, the age-old customs and practices of farming are recorded in detail as they were passed down over time. The farm itself is brought to life, the fields named and the farmyard and homestead illustrated. From 1949 until 1986 the author’s mother, Maggie Armour, kept a diary of events on the farm. These descriptions of everyday life and the warmth and closeness of the community add another dimension to the book.
The home was at the heart of the farm and the litany of weekly tasks, all carried out without electricity or running water are also remembered as are Soirees and Guest Teas in the local school, visiting with neighbours and life in the town.
The MHS began as an informal group of members, drawn together by a shared interest in the history and heritage of the town. Local historian Joseph McCoy led the group, which had a large and enthusiastic number of followers on Facebook. Inspired by the obvious support in the area for the Society it was decided that the time had come to place it on a more formal footing, elect a chairman and committee and adopt a constitution setting out the aims, objectives and structure of the Society.
The first step was to call an open meeting in the Link, on the 10th November 2014, which was attended by about 40 people from the district. James Armour, who had recently returned to the town after a long absence, was the organiser of this development. On the night the purpose of the Society was discussed in depth. This included its role in researching and promoting local history and heritage as well as documenting and preserving it. A core value of the Society was seen to be its openness and inclusivity.
Office bearers and a committee were elected on the evening to help move the new society forward. In alphabetical order these were James Armour, Denver Boyd, Izchel Boyd, Bruce Clark, Brendan Convery, Fergal Cudden, Peter Etherson, Kate Lagan, John Marquess, Joseph McCoy, Pat Rafferty and William Sufferin. Joseph McCoy was elected Chairperson, Denver Boyd Vice-Chairperson, James Armour Honorary Secretary and John Marquess Treasurer.
The next few months were a busy time for the MHS with a constitution being drawn up and adopted to give the organisation a legal foundation. A comprehensive programme of events was put in place to run throughout the year and a fund-raising plan was put into action which turned out to be very effective in establishing a financial basis for the Society to operate from.
On the 31st March 2015 the MHS was formally launched by Dr. Bill Macafee, the distinguished historian and author, at a gala event in Walsh’s Hotel, Maghera in front of an audience of over 150 people.
James Armour, the Honorary Secretary, acted as Master of Ceremonies and began by explaining the aims of the organisation and pledging that the Society would straight away start looking for suitable premises in the town to set up a Cultural and Heritage Centre which will serve many functions. He said that he saw the Centre as a focal point for all those interested in Maghera, both its past heritage and its present-day culture. The Centre would act as a safe archive for artefacts, memorabilia, photographs etc. relating to the local area, it would be open to the public and reach out to all communities and cultures in the town, seeking to include as many people as possible in its work. ‘The Society is for everybody, it has an open door policy and all the people of Maghera are welcome to join’
James then referred movingly to a book he is writing based on his childhood memories growing up in the Beagh with his four brothers on his father’s farm. He dedicated the work he has done on behalf of the Society to the memory of his parents and his brother Uel, a well- known figure in the town who sadly passed away in his early years.
Joseph McCoy, the Chairperson of the MHS gave a very inspiring talk on the foundation of the organisation. Drawing on his deep knowledge based on many years of research he spoke of the history of the town. He was followed by the Guest Speaker, Dr. Bill Macafee. He congratulated the Society on the Launch which he likened to the launch of a ship setting out on a voyage of discovery. He emphasised the importance of all historical societies and spoke with passion of the need to document and record the history and lives of people from the 1950s onwards, an era that is now part of history and must be documented before it is too late.
Cllr. Jim Campbell, marked the launch as one of his last official engagements as Vice-chair of Magherafelt District Council and a representative of the people of the local area – an historic occasion itself. He wished the society well and pledged to give what help he could going forward. Denver Boyd, the genealogist on the team, and Vice-Chairperson of the society, spoke of the fragility of memory and how soon information could be forgotten if an effort was not made to document it. He emphasised that the Historical Society had a vital role to play in recording the past to preserve it for our descendants. As part of the ceremony Brendan Convery, through old cine film footage of the town, and Pat Rafferty through a display of old postcards, reminded us how Maghera looked in days gone by. Bruce Clark (who set up a display of artefacts from his family’s Linen Industry) gave a summary of all that had been said and thanked the speakers. He then went on to give a fascinating personal and philosophical slant on the role history can play in a person’s life.
A TIME CAPSULE FOR MAGHERA
30th December 2015 – 30th December 2115
One of the first projects to take place in the Heritage & Culture Centre was the preparation and sealing of a Time Capsule. We thought that this was a good way to represent the aims of the Maghera Historical Society. The Capsule is not only a way to communicate with the generations to come, but also symbolises the whole town coming together to work towards a positive and peaceful future for our descendants.
Over the year everybody was invited to contribute messages, memorabilia, photographs, newspapers, information and messages to be sealed within the Capsule. The local schools all became involved with many pupils giving photographs and messages which will not be seen again until the Capsule is opened in 100 years-time.
The official sealing took place on the 30th December 2015 in the Centre. James Armour acted as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and in this role explained that the idea behind the Capsule was to bring the town together and act as an expression of faith in the future of Maghera. He said that he believed that the way to understand the hearts and minds of a generation was through an appreciation of the memories, stories and songs of everyday life rather than the major political issues of the time. Through the personal information preserved in the Capsule people in Maghera, a hundred years into the future would get a real insight into life in the town in 2015.
Joseph McCoy, Chairperson of the MHS then spoke and drew an interesting comparison between the modern day capsule and the way in which an historical structure, such as St.Lurach’s, can function as a time capsule itself. As Joseph said, ‘Walking around the old church you are aware of the changes in the masonry and stone work from the early Christian beginnings of the site through to the 10th century walls, the magnificent, carved lintel dating from the medieval period and the tower added in the 17th century. The church stands as a built record of over a thousand years of history’.
Fergal Cudden, the youngest committee member of the MHS, represented the younger people of the town at the ceremony. He spoke of growing up in Maghera and how he enjoyed the peaceful friendly pace of life there. He referred to his deep connection with the town and how he saw this sense of belonging continuing down the years to future generations. He also spoke of his hope that the Maghera Historical Society would, ‘Shine a new light on the history of Maghera and make it something that the newer generation will be both interested in and proud of.’
Mrs.Elizabeth (Lizzie) Shiels, now in her ninety-first year, was next invited to speak. Lizzie shared memories of her life growing up in the area. She spoke of a different age, now gone forever and evoked images of a simpler, and perhaps happier, way of life. Remembrances of Christmases long ago were brought to life in a poem written by Lizzie. The verses highlighted the contrast between today’s consumerism and the values of earlier times, leading the audience to wonder what sort of life, hopes and aspirations our descendants would experience so many years into the future. Lizzie herself acted as an inspiration to everyone gathered at the ceremony as she brought such energy, goodwill and optimism to the idea of forging a link between ourselves and the unknown future inhabitants of the town.
James then invited contributions from the floor. The first to make a contribution was Cllr. Martin Kearney. He reminisced movingly about his childhood and the importance of memory and history for everybody. He dwelt on the importance of personal and local history in the life of a community. In this context he felt that the Time Capsule gave the people of Maghera a wonderful opportunity to come together, and by sharing their experiences give those in the 22nd century a picture of the town today.
Kevin Daly, a Committee member of the MHS, then spoke about well-known characters in the town in the past. In particular, he acknowledged the role played by Mr. Roy Shiels, Lizzie’s husband, who had devoted many years to helping the young people of the town and ran a football team known as ‘Roy’s Chicks’. Kevin’s emphasised how important it was for the identity and spirit of the town that the full time-line of its history be carried on, unbroken, into the future.
Cllr. Anne Forde gave us her memories of growing up outside the town on a farm in the Carrick. This gave us another perspective on a past way of life when Freddie Cauldwell and his threshing machine travelled from farm to farm and neighbours all worked together to bring the harvest in. Again Cllr. Forde dwelt on the importance of ensuring that a record of who we are and what we stand for is passed on to our descendants and she complimented the Society on the idea of the Time Capsule.
Tommy Collins agreed that the Society had given the people of Maghera a significant opportunity to keep history alive through the generations and Cllr. George Shiels made the final contribution of the evening with his usual wit and wisdom. Cllr Shiels also referred to his father, Roy Shiels, who, he said, had inspired him to make a contribution to society throughout his life.
The Time capsule itself was then locked by Lizzie and Fergal to begin its journey one hundred years into the future to be opened again on the 30th December 2115.
Putting together the capsule was a daunting task in itself, as a special container had to be constructed which could be filled with nitrogen before being hermetically sealed to preserve the contents intact. Within the Capsule special paper, ink and packaging had to be sourced and used to protect against deterioration over the next hundred years. Pat Rafferty and John Marquess, both members of the MHS committee worked behind the scenes to make it all happen.
The celebrations continued in the Centre until late at night with everybody enjoying the music provided by Alan Hutchinson and Friends with vocalist Alice McMurray.
Maghera Roots
The Heritage and Cultural Centre has begun a new and exciting project based on farming in Maghera and the surrounding districts during the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. This area has been predominantly agricultural for generations with a strong tradition of small family farms, which were generally less than thirty acres in size.
The links between the town and the countryside were very strong during those years. Shopping was much more local and the farmers did the majority of their business in Maghera through the local merchants. In addition, Maghera had a thriving weekly market drawing in people from a wide radius outside the town.
These were the years, the 1940s to the 1960s, that saw huge changes in farming methods. The tractor took over from the horse as the mainstay of the farm, and customs, skills and techniques going back hundreds of years were set aside for the new practices based on increasing mechanisation.
We set up this project in the Centre to capture the memories and experiences of farmers who lived and worked through this period of change. To put a structure on the whole project, six farmers have volunteered to take part and will work with the Centre to record and document their farms and describe in detail the routines and practices in the mid-twentieth century.
However, to round out the project and tie the farmers in with all the other aspects of life at the time we are hoping to involve a much wider range of people sharing their stories. If you have any memories of Maghera during those years – perhaps you too had a farm or ‘gathered’ spuds’ as a child or worked in the town during those busy years we would love to hear from you.
We are gathering the information in many different ways. Informal interviews can be arranged and recorded if that is how you would like to contribute your memories. Alternatively, there is a facility on the website where you can write your story or, you might be happier with the tried and tested method of pen and paper. We welcome everybody who wishes to take part in this undertaking. We feel that not only will this project be a useful addition to the history and heritage of the town and district, but also it will strengthen the local community and increase pride in our heritage.
The project will run until December 2016. From January 2017 to April 2017 the material gathered will be edited and assembled to form an exhibition in the Heritage and Cultural Centre This exhibition will include artefacts from the period and will start with an open-day demonstrating traditional farming skills, e.g. ploughing with horses and early tractors, butter-making, scutching etc. It is hoped that the local schools will become involved as well as this will be a great opportunity to reach the next generation and show them the social and practical heritage of their grandparents.
How to take part
You can share your story on line and tell us of your experiences.
Alternatively call the Heritage and Cultural Centre at 028 79549835 and arrange to call in for a chat or to organise a recording. You can also write down your memories and send them to us at: Maghera Heritage & Cultural Centre, 17 Coleraine Road, Maghera. BT56 5BN
We look forward to hearing from you all and will keep you updated on progress.
This centre is also to be used to run a programme of events relating to the culture and heritage of the area’. With the establishment of the Centre, which was formally opened on 31st October 2015, the Society achieved this aim.
Since opening its doors the Centre has run a wide range of activities relating to the life of the local area. These range from lectures, exhibitions and workshops through to the establishment of an annual Agri-Show and Country Fayre, a Storytelling Festival and a Christmas Market.
An on-going project in the Centre is the collection of oral memories relating to the area and everybody is welcome to share their stories and experiences with us and so add to the store if information and knowledge about Maghera.
The Centre is committed to working with the local community in a completely open and inclusive way. We welcome everybody interested in the aims of the Centre to become involved and work with us towards preserving all that is best in Maghera’s past heritage while at the same time striving to improve the quality of life in the town today in an enjoyable way.