Lough Neagh's Stories

30/07/2024

If you know anybody who truly cares about the future of our great Lough Neagh, make sure they join this important consultation webinar tonight at 7.00pm.

INVITATION to the Lough Neagh Consultation Webinar

As part of the consultation process for the Lough Neagh Resilience Plan, the public is being invited to attend a consultation webinar on Tuesday 30 July at 7.00pm where they will have opportunity to hear from four experts who will speak on landscape acquisition and management; considering the development of a new Lough Neagh heritage resilience plan and the various environmental and conservation challenges surrounding Lough Neagh together with examples of innovative techniques and practices that could help address these current issues.

To register for the webinar please click the link below and follow to the bottom of the page.

https://loughneaghpartnership.org/consultation-webinar/

28/06/2024

See you in Pomeroy Forest Park tomorrow for the second "Taste Mid-Ulster Food Festival"!

Let's kick off the summer in style ... and TASTE!! 😍😊🥙🍰🌹🌻😋

Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland Visit Mid Ulster Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society

26/06/2024

The privileges of working Fishermen’s Hours
..The things you miss when you sleep through the early morning!

This morning's magical sky at 03:30.

Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland

29/05/2024

"Féile Loch nEathach"

8th of June 2024 in Ballyronan Marina
6 - 11pm.

We are truly looking forward to this very special Lough Neagh cultural evening, intended to raise awareness of the Lough's present and future, in a thoughtful, dignified way.

It will be a great Saturday night out! There will be an embarrassment of riches of Lough Neagh traditional music talent and it is also intended as a local premiere of a short film, "The Eel Fisher", by very talented local girl, Méabh Ní Dhoibhlin.

Lough Neagh and its eel fishing community were very blessed when Méabh took such a personal interest in them both a couple of years ago; and then decided to use her considerable videographic talents to do something to champion them! We feel very humbled and grateful to have been asked by Méabh to contribute to it along with some of our fishing colleagues.

Tickets are free to book, but are limited due to the capacity in the hall. All voluntary donations on the night will go to LOUGH NEAGH RESCUE.

Hope to see you there! 🤩😊

Visit Mid Ulster Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Tourism Ireland Discover Northern Ireland The Scullery Ballyronan Marina The Lock Keeper's Cottage, Toome. The Crosskeys Inn

05/05/2024

Today was that very special one in the calendar of Lough Neagh fishing families ... the day of the traditional Blessing of the Boats for the new eel fishing season at The Battery Ardboe.

The Lough was still and the weather lovely.🌊☀️⭐️

30/04/2024

It's that time of the year again!..

With only double digit hours left until the start of the age-old Lough Neagh Eel Fishing Season, the last few hours and weeks have been all about the getting ready! And amongst other things, there's no more putting off running any straggly lines you just couldn't face into before now. 🙈😤

It's also that time of the year again when savvy, experienced Lough Neagh fishermen's spouses/partners (and doggies! 🤩) know that you just have to wait it out, ...then corner them when they are running their lines, if you want to make progress on ... ANYTHING ELSE!
😏😊🤪💡


Welcome to the 2024 Lough Neagh Eel fishing season! May it be a safe, healthy and rewarding one for all.🙏

*Big thanks to our very lovely and quick-witted tour guest at the weekend for her cute snap. 🙏🐕🤩

Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society


Tourism Ireland Discover Northern Ireland

26/04/2024

: Saturday 4th May 2024

Thanks a lot to all those who supported our "Traád and Toome Bays Afternoon Tea Package" over Easter; and to all who have bought seats for the same on Saturday the 4th of May.

We only have a few seats left, so please email us asap, if you would be interested in joining us. Advance booking is essential.

This package will only be available on a few advertised dates in the year, but is available on-going on request, for groups of between six and twelve people. So, get your own group organised and then just drop us an email, if this is something you'd like to do with your own friends. 😊

Our email address is: [email protected] (*Note the two 's' in the middle!)

Looking forward to welcoming our next afternoon tea-ers on board in with The Scullery. 🙌🌊🛥🫖☕️🍰

Visit Mid Ulster Ballyronan Marina Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland Lough Neagh Tours

18/04/2024

Chuffed to get this mention on !

Our tours are all about the natural and cultural heritage of our area.

Thanks folks!

From delicious experiences to cultural walks, there are plenty of tours you can take throughout Northern Ireland that are sure to broaden your horizons.

30/03/2024

🥳Toome Fair 2024🥳

Are you all set for the biggest day of the year?

That day that every child who lives within a twenty mile radius of Toomebridge village waits on all year!!!!!!!!!!! 🥳🙆‍♂️🙆‍♀️🙃😀
..Toome Fair on Easter Monday! One of Ireland's oldest fairs! 🎢🎠🍭🍿🎤🐴🐎

You Eighties Kids, do you remember the yearlong labour of love saving up your 2ps for the 2p machines at the Fair? 🤩🥰 And the excitement when you were finally allowed to break into.that piggy bank?!!!! 😍😍🥰🤩🤩

Together with all the old favourites, the Fair will boast an Artisan Market this year at Duneane Community Garden. We'll be selling our Lough Neagh Dollaghan Dogs and Wraps at it.🌊🐟🌮😋 Please stop by and say hello.

The Lock Keeper's Cottage, Toome. Tidal Toome

29/03/2024

Have you decided yet what you are doing on Easter Tuesday ? If not, why not book our Traád and Toome Bays Afternoon Tea Package? 😉

24/03/2024

Easter 2024 🎉🥚🐣

Beginning to sort your plans for Easter or indeed the May Bank Holiday weekends ?

We'll be releasing details of a few events over the next few days and weeks, so keep following!

First up...

Might you be interested in our Traád and Toome Bays Afternoon Tea Package with The Scullery Ballyronan? 🌊🛥🫖☕️🍰

Just email [email protected] if you would like to make an enquiry or a booking. 😊 (*Note the two 's' in the middle!)


Visit Mid Ulster Lough Neagh Tours Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland

23/03/2024

"Taste Mid-Ulster Heritage Food and Craft Festival" in "The Moy"! 😊

BIG thanks to the ever hard working tourism team at Visit Mid Ulster for their efforts in organising the inaugural "Taste Mid-Ulster Heritage Food and Craft Festival" at the start of this month. 👏👏👏

Moy village looked and sounded fantastic! There was a notable community feel; brilliant music; and both vendors and customers enjoyed themselves. 😋🎨🕺💃🍰

Just as we knew would be the case with people who live so close to the Loughshore, our cooked Lough Neagh fish products were so well supported. Thank you all. 🙏💙🐟🌊

In particular, thank you to those who wistfully reminisced with us about those simpler (but less regulated!) times of yesteryear, when Lough Neagh fishermen weekly sold our great Pollan and Dollaghan door to door. And to the older gentleman who ate his Dollaghan Dog, then called back to tell us, "It was worth coming for that alone." ...That is priceless to us.✨️

A further unexpected, terrific highlight of the second day, was when the inspirational Delourme, chef for twenty-five years to none other than Stein, dropped by, as he researched his "Celtic Connections". We really liked Stephane, and suffice to say, he really liked our beautiful Lough Neagh fish! ...Watch this space! 🤩

Along with local Michelin star chef, F Owens, we did a good job of reminding people of the luxury super health foods to be found on their doorstep! 🎖👊

See YOU at the next "Taste Mid-Ulster Heritage Food and Craft Festival"?...

But if you would like the opportunity to tuck into one of our Dollaghan Dogs or Dollaghan Wraps quicker than that, we'll be cooking and selling them for the first time at our very own on Easter Monday 2024. 🤩



Tourism Ireland Discover Northern Ireland Lough Neagh Tours Visit Mid Ulster Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Tidal Toome The Lock Keeper's Cottage, Toome. Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society

22/03/2024

To honour World Poetry Day this week, a few lines from "Cinderella Pollan: To You, An Ode".

This little bit of verse was penned to celebrate our beautiful, miraculous Lough Neagh Pollan scooping the first prestigious Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) food status award for the north of the island in 2018.

Cinderella Pollan: To You, An Ode
..

You, littler,
Bella Cinderella.
..You, they knew from Ash Wednesday,
And Lenten fasting and alms.
So you, they so needed – and no qualms!

One of our wonders,
Neglected.
By none other,
Than blind blunder!
..you’ll be buoyed
Almost ashore,
In glorious, glittery, gatherings galore,
Sunning yourself on the sandy clay
Of beaches in ...
And in the bay....

(Anne-Marie McStocker)

Just as with every mighty and every miniscule feature of nature, Lough Neagh has the power to inspire and unleash much poetry! 🌊📒💡🤩😍

We're all able to write poetry. Just start with a few words about what's around you and how you feel about it.✍️😊

Or come join us on one of our literary tours if you'd like help to channel your ideas.

17/03/2024

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you've all celebrated this little island of ours heartily. 🍀💚☘️

A throwback for the day that's in it!

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly two and a half years since we filmed this feature for Amazon Prime Video. It then aired on Amazon Prime on St. Patrick's Day 2022!

We loved it when Amazon Prime drinks journalist, Smith, recognised in a promotional clip, just how exceptional a food product our Lough Neagh eel is: "The Lough Neagh eels are basically the caviar of Ireland!" 💛

https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Three-Drinkers-in-Ireland/dp/B09PQ6LPV8

The Three Drinkers in Ireland is an aspirational, gastronomic journey through the picturesque island of Ireland. Join drinks experts Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin with special guests Beth Brickenden and Eulanda Shead Osagiede as they indulge in an Irish feast for the senses, tasting lots of deliciou...

08/03/2024

Your destination for this weekend?...

Moy Village, Co. Tyrone!! For their first ever Taste Mid-Ulster Food and Craft Heritage Event. 💗

We'll be there with our delicious Lough Neagh Dollaghan Dogs and Wraps. 🌊🐟😋

Saturday 9th March 2024: 11am - 7pm
Sunday 10th March 2024: 1pm - 5pm.


Visit Mid Ulster Lough Neagh Tours Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland Lough Neagh Artisans

05/03/2024

Hey all.

Hope you are all well and that you have 'overwintered' well.

We have been working very hard on many Lough Neagh matters and projects in the interim. And beautiful bright skies and stretching days are very visible indicators that spring has arrived. ☁️🐑🌱

And so we are very pleased with the timing of last night's reflective and thought-provoking "Nationwide" on , which was dedicated to our treasured Lough Neagh. (The iplayer link is below.)

Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh was both great craic and made us feel instantly at ease. Angela (Ryan) and Brian (McVeigh) - producer/director and cameraman - were so obliging and down-to-earth. Thank you all sincerely, folks. 🙏 You're welcome any time! And we'll look forward to more future "Nationwide" broadcasts from our area, so rich in its cultural heritage. 😉

It's truly a privilege to have been able to promote our fishing and literary heritage; and our special local places, like this. Toome Canal Walk, our Lough Neagh eel fishery, Ballyronan, Cranfield, Creggan and The Battery all feature. 💙💒🌊

We were delighted, too, that so many of our fishing colleagues also took part in the broadcast. Looking and sounding great, guys! 🤩
..And last, but by no means least, thank you, Uncle Charlie, for the beautiful winter filming weather. 💫💛🙏

RTÉ One Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society Lough Neagh Tours Lough Neagh Artisans Lough Neagh Partnership Tourism Ireland Discover Northern Ireland Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Visit Mid Ulster Creggan Local Heritage Group Emma Heatherington Writer Lough Shore Marina Centre The Lock Keeper's Cottage, Toome.

An eclectic round-up of news, views and events from around the country each week.

19/09/2023

Live from Cranfield Old Church and Holy Well! 💛

After all the upsetting headlines of recent weeks about the phenomenal algal bloom in our majestic Lough Neagh (... more on that another time), here's a very timely and unusual celebration of Lough Neagh to pick us all up! 🙏

Tune in to BBC Radio 3 Breakfast tomorrow morning (6:30- 9am) for a very special programme, hosted by Trelawny, live from one of our most sacred places, Cranfield Old Church and Holy Well.💒🌊

Cranfield has always had an ability to soothe and to heal....💖🌠


Lough Neagh Tours Lough Neagh Artisans Lough Neagh Partnership

BBC Radio 3’s much-loved Breakfast programme is on the road again this September.

19/08/2023

Lough Neagh reminding us of all her wild power this morning. 🌬🌊😮

15/08/2023

Some days, you just never know who's going to drop by....

Last week, we enjoyed the absolute pleasure of hosting Zhang Meifang, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Belfast, her close staff and Chad Huang, President of the Europe Business Association, on our extended "Lough Neagh Fishing Story" tour. They were accompanied by our very good friend and fellow Lough Neagh Ambassador, Vincent Hurl, owner of the much loved, The Crosskeys Inn, and his lovely family. Big thanks to the Hurl family for bringing these distinguished visitors our way.

Chinese people generally have a very real and deep appreciation of fish and eel specifically ... and this group was no exception. Lots of engagement, lots of great questions about our legendary Lough Neagh fish and lots of chat! We loved their company! Madame Zhang even helped Gary to check on his fishing nets! 😊

And our cooked dollaghan trout definitely got the thumbs-up back at our "Fisherman’s Shack". 👌👌

Thanks to all for their friendliness, good humour and for taking the time out of their busy schedules to visit us. Hopefully the first of many visits.

Mid Ulster District Council Tourism Ireland Discover Northern Ireland

10/08/2023

*Delighted to have been named in this line-up! * 😊

If you have a group of up to twelve friends, family or colleagues who want to enjoy a new or different experience before the days close in again, then please give us a shout!

We have different options available. We try to tailor tours to suit people's interests, ages, size of group, budget and time availability.

Email: [email protected]
(*Note the two years in the middle.)

24/07/2023

Tranquility on Toome Canal Walk yesterday evening after the morning's torrential rain! 🌤🌝

11/07/2023

Big thanks to New York - based Lough Neagh lady, Joanne McAlinden, for entrusting us with her mum and dad recently, on a tour bought as a special gift. 💝

To our absolute delight, Dad Joe assured us that while it had been a while, "hanging" [a net] is just like riding a bike ... once mastered, never forgotten! He's got a job any time he's free! 😉

After enjoying our extended "Lough Neagh Fishing Story" tour by both boat and land, they tucked into Lough Neagh eel suppers (their forever favourite!) and for possibly just the second time ever, into some premium fillet of Lough Neagh Dollaghan. The verdict on it?... 👌👌👌 We loved it when Betty told Gary that she would take his arm off to take home with her the other fresh Lough Neagh Dollaghan fillet he offered her!! 🤩😃😀

Please call again any time, guys.

Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland Visit Mid Ulster

13/06/2023

Father's Day 2023

We are offering the following package for this Father's Day.

Vouchers available. The experience itself is available to book on the 25th of June, the 2nd of July and the 9th of July 2023.

Please email [email protected] to express your interest in buying a voucher for the same. (*Note the two 's' in the middle!) Please leave your phone number, preferred date and we'll get back to you.

Wishing all our daddies a lovely day.

The Crosskeys Inn

10/06/2023

Love Your Food

A busy, very hot, but very enjoyable day at the Love Your Food Show Belfast.

We've left our Sally-Anne 'holding the fort' tonight and we'll do it all again tomorrow 10 - 6! 😊

Thanks to all who bought our cooked Lough Neagh fish products, vouchers for our Father's Day package and Bronagh's DIY soda bread kits. 🤩

08/06/2023

All set up and ready to go at the first Love Your Food Show in the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast, over the next three days! (The brand new sister show to the Love Your Home Show.)

So excited to be flying the flag for our superb Lough Neagh fish at this event. (As always, all fish are supplied by our Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society!)

And we are attending in partnership with our very good friend and fellow Lough Neagh Artisans, Bronagh, from Bakehouse. 🤩 Really looking forward to this one!!

Have you got your FREE tickets for the event yet? Maybe see you there?...

05/06/2023

More gorgeous images from the trip we provided this day last week for our little friends from Naíscoil Na Fíobha, Toome, Duneane.

02/06/2023

Have we not got the cutest Friday Feel Good post ever?...

This week, we at Lough Neagh's Stories, were visited by the gorgeous little big people from Naíscoil Na Fíobha, Toome, Duneane. These little big people are finishing up at pre-school in the next few weeks and will be big P1s in September! 🤩😍

We often have renditions of "Baby Eel" (Forget "Baby Shark"!! 😉) on our Lough Neagh's Stories' tour boat, but it was a pleasure to have our first rendition of "Babaí Eascan"!! 🤩🥰🤩

Hope all the boys and girls have enjoyed the lovely sunshine all week and that they'll look out for all the little bugs, birds and fish we learned about! A special big shout out to the ladies who take such good care of them. And to little Éanna who wasn't able to join us due to just being out of hospital ... which is why we'd love him, Pauric and their family to join us for a boat trip over the summer.

28/05/2023

We got our "Traád and Toome Bays Afternoon Tea Package" off to the best start a few weekends ago!

Thanks to everybody who booked the experience (a 90 minute boat trip and delicious, follow-up, sit-down afternoon tea at The Scullery).
..And we are delighted to tell you that this super tasty collaboration between ourselves in Lough Neagh's Stories and The Scullery will be available ongoing most weekends, on request, in Ballyronan, throughout the rest of the 2023 season. 🤩

Please email us if you would like to treat yourselves! (£45pp.) A minimum of four passengers required.

*Note the two 's' in the middle!)

[email protected] (*Note the two 's' in the middle!)

09/05/2023

Drawing for eels tonight in Toome Bay...

Priceless moments! 💛

Discover Northern Ireland Tourism Ireland

04/05/2023

"Traád and Toome Bays Afternoon Tea Package"

Do you know yet what you are doing over your extra Bank Holiday weekend?

If not, why not try something different to mark the occasion?

Have you ever experienced Lough Neagh, largest lake in all of Ireland and Britain, under the stewardship of a seventh-generation commercial Lough Neagh fisherman? If not, why not book to do just that with us this Sunday, the 7th of May 2023?
..And why not round off your experience with an exquisite, sit-down, afternoon tea provided by @ The Scullery? 😋😊

Our "Traád and Toome Bays Afternoon Tea Package" will have trips departing Ballyronan Marina at 1pm and 3pm on Sunday, the 7th of May 2023. Advance booking by email is essential. (Payment will also be in advance please.) Places are priced at £45 pp for your 90 minute boat trip and your delicious, follow-up, sit-down afternoon tea at The Scullery Ballyronan. All arrangements will be made for your meal in advance.

What are you waiting for?...

Email us today at [email protected] (*Note the two 's' in the middle!)