Events

On Sunday the sixth of August a bride and groom fulfilled their dreams by getting married on Lough Neagh. An armada of boats carried Victoria Savage, Robert McCormac and their guests one mile across Sandy Bay for the wedding ceremony on Rams Island. The ceremony was held in the shade of the round tower, the remains of an ancient Celtic Monastic Settlement around a thousand years old, near the ruins of Lord O’Neill’s’ nineteenth century summer house.

The Island was last permanently inhabited in the early part of the last century by Robert and Jane Cardwell who were caretakers for Lord O’Neill and known as the King and Queen of Rams Island. Both Robert and Jane died on the Island after some 50 years living there, Robert in his late 90s and Jane was 102. Hopefully the King and Queen of Rams were smiling down on the young couple making their marriage vows on their Island.

Victoria and Robert were following in the footsteps of another pair of young lovers immortalised by the Clancy Brothers in the song Ballinderry. The song tells the tale of two young lovers who would visit “bonny” Rams Island and sit beneath the trees.

The wedding was the realisation of a dream that began during a visit to the Island by the couple shortly after they became engaged. Victoria, who has been visiting Rams since her childhood, remarked light-heartedly that Rams would be a lovely location for a wedding. After that it snowballed into reality. You would have to visit Rams to understand why the couple chose it for their wedding ceremony. It has an atmosphere all of its own and has an exquisite natural and historical setting.

Watched by both families, guests and visiting boaters the bridal procession arrived up the central avenue to the tower to the strains of “She Moves Through The Fair” played on the harp by Ciara McCormac. The marriage ceremony was performed on the Island by the groom’s brother Douglas, a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor. After the wedding and a reception at the nearby Ballymac hotel the newlyweds headed to Westport for their honeymoon.

Whether there were any weddings on Rams Island in the past is uncertain, there could well have been as there was a church on the Island but the church now long gone had been unused for centuries. What is certain there have not been any weddings on the Island in living memory.

In a event organised by RBLNAC in conjunction with Antrim Community Forum 38 children and adults from Antrim planted five hundred native bluebell bulbs (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) on Rams Island. The bulbs should make a show in the spring and within in a few years will carpet the sides of the paths of the Island with their vivid blue flowers. The bulbs were supplied by Conservation Volunteers Nursery in Belfast grown from native stock.

“There is a silent eloquence
In every wild bluebell
That fills my softened heart with bliss
That words could never tell. …”

‘The Bluebell’ – Anne Bronte (1820-1849)

25 Boats arrived from Sandy Bay, Morrows Point, Battery Harbour, Antrim and Kilrea for a small Rally at Rams Island. Berthing space was at a premium with boats rafted together four and five abreast. Music and BBQ went on until early hours of Sunday morning. With fair weather on the day a good time was had by all.

A Himalayan Balsam Bash and educational fun day took place on Rams Island on Saturday 25th of June.

Leaving in a small flotilla of boats from Crumlin Marina at Sandy Bay, fifty children plus Group Leaders from Antrim Community Forum Community Groups, (Springfarm, Greystone ,Rathenraw, and Townparks South) took part in the event organised by the River Bann and Lough Neagh Association with sponsorship and help from Antrim Borough Council, Antrim Community Groups, Craigavon Borough Council, Lough Neagh Rescue, the Lough Neagh Advisory Committee, the Lough Neagh Partnership, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (Lough Neagh Coastguard), Scotts Northstone and Dale Farm Ice Cream. After short tour of the Island and an educational talk about the Himalayan Balsam and the problems it is causing to the environment, the children worked hard pulling up Balsam from a large stand at the south end of the Island .

After the Balsam Bash as a reward for their hard work the children were treated to a barbecue prepared by members of Antrim Community Forum.

A Lough Neagh Rescue Lifeboat from the Ardboe Lifeboat Station arrived and took the children for a high speed cruise around Sandy Bay.

The day was rounded off with a man overboard demonstration by Lough Neagh Rescue.

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A litter lift and educational fun day took place on Rams Island on Saturday 21st of August.

Leaving in a small flotilla of boats from Crumlin Marina at Sandy Bay, twenty four children plus Group Leaders from Antrim Community Forum Community Groups, (Springfarm, Greystone ,Rathenraw, and Townparks South) took part in the event organised by the River Bann and Lough Neagh Association with sponsorship and help from Antrim Borough Council, Antrim Community Groups, Lough Neagh Rescue, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (Lough Neagh Coastguard) and Dale Farm Ice Cream. After a guided tour of the Island the children worked hard lifting litter throughout the Island.

A Lough Neagh Rescue Lifeboat from the Kinnego Lifeboat Station arrived at two o'clock and took the children for a high speed cruise around Sandy Bay.

After the Lifeboat trip Davey Galloway, a River Bann and Lough Neagh Association member who works in the Forestry Service, took the children and adults for an educational wildlife and woodland walk through Island.

The day was rounded off with a water safety awareness talk and parachute flare demonstration by Michael Savage a River Bann and Lough Neagh Association member who is also a member of Lough Neagh Coastguard.

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Your Place & Mine presenter John Toal takes to the saddle of his trusty bicycle for a special Your Place & Mine Programme focusing on Lough Neagh. A cycle trail now runs right round the Lough and John and the team stop off at points along the route to explore the history, flora and fauna of this beautiful, but perhaps less well known part of Northern Ireland.