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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Remembering Glenbower Lake — and keening its loss
Killeagh and Glenbower Wood have really entered the national consciousness in recent months through the chart-topping 'Killeagh' by Irish band Kingfishr. From the woods of Glenbower to the river Dissour From the arms of my mother to the land ever pure Yet the connection between this ancient woodland and the East Cork community runs back for centuries. As local choral conductor Dr Mary Pedder Daly's song 'Old Glenbower' attests, both the community-owned Glenbower Wood and, perhaps most notably, the former Glenbower Lake have long been woven into the identity and cultural life of the community. While the exact date of a lake being introduced to Glenbower Wood is uncertain, the Glenbower Lake of living memory dates to the mid-19th century, when a reinforced dam was constructed on the River Dissour to power the Old Mill in the village. The resulting six-acre body of water, later stocked with trout by Inland Fisheries from the late 1950s, became a much-loved beauty spot and regional attraction. Cork Examiner May 26, 1988 On June 14, 1988, amid many divisive controversies, Glenbower Lake was dramatically drained, leaving the community of Killeagh in shock and at a loss for their much-loved Lake. In 1995, after several years of fundraising, the people of Killeagh purchased 30 acres of Glenbower Wood, including the former site of the former lake, with the aim of reinstating it. More than three decades later, this ambition remains unrealised, but the Glenbower Wood and Lake Committee, an entirely voluntary group, continues to steward this rare remnant of ancient woodland. Nowadays, the committee undertakes the day-to-day management of the woods and, in recent years, has successfully overseen the funding and delivery of new infrastructure — including three new bridges in August 2022, which reinstated the walking route across the site of the former dam wall for the first time since the lake was drained in 1988. Greywood Arts, a local arts organisation who often works closely with the committee, has been key in the development of various arts-based initiatives to strengthen community connections to Glenbower Wood and the River Dissour, notably revitalising the May Sunday Festival — a celebration of Bealtaine that has taken place in Killeagh for more than 200 years. Glenbower Lake — in all her glory. Picture taken shortly before the lake was drained in June 1988 Idir an Dá Linn / Meanwhile / Between the Two Lakes builds on this long-standing convergence of place, ecology, arts and collective identity. Part of the three-year placemaking initiative Seeing the Wood for the Trees — a partnership between Glenbower Wood and Lake CLG, Greywood Arts and Nocht Studio — the project explores the space between absence and presence, loss and renewal, the lost lake, and the one that might never return. The work engages local residents across generations in creating a community keen (caoineadh pobail) — drawing on the Irish language and tradition of lamentation to process ecological grief and shared memory. Facilitated by artist-musician Mícheál Ó Catháin, with artists Basil Al-Rawi and Philip Ryan, the project is developed through storytelling walks, vocal workshops and site-based creative experimentation in the woodland. The community is invited to contribute memories, photographs, artefacts and reflections on their present-day relationship with the wood, which will be incorporated into a bilingual publication and short film. 'Listening closely to people, place, and the woodland has been a privilege that has shaped Idir an Dá Linn as both an act of remembrance and a way to engage with what endures: the physical traces of the lake, the community's memories, and the voices rooted in this landscape. The project invites us to recognise these connections to water, woods, and one another; carrying them forward into the future," notes Philip Ryan, of Nocht Studio. Programme of Events – National Heritage Week 2025 Keening Walks (Development Workshops) Mondays, August 11 and 18 from 6:30–8:30pm Meet at Greywood Arts Twilight walks with Mícheál Ó Catháin shaping a collective caoineadh pobail for the lake. Exhibition Opening Saturday, August 16 at 5pm at Greywood Arts An immersive exhibition of sound, image and memory recreating Glenbower Lake. Developed through community storytelling walks and workshops, facilitated by Basil Al-Rawi and Philip Ryan. Community Performance - Caoineadh Pobail Sunday, August 24 at 5pm. Water Heritage Day. Meet at Greywood Arts A culminating performance along the former lakeshore, leading through Glenbower Wood to a shared Gather Round picnic at the woodland entrance. Funded by: Create — the National Development Agency for Collaborative Arts, the Arts Council of Ireland, Cork County Council, Creative Ireland, Community Foundation Ireland, with Water Heritage Day support from the Local Authority Waters Programme. 'Everyone is invited to come along and share in this special experience in Glenbower Woods over the coming days and weeks' — Jessica Bonenfant, Greywood Arts director.
Irish Examiner
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Tots to Teens: Choose sustainability with these plantable pencils that grow into herbs
Imagine if there were something you could do with your pencils after they had been worn down to stubs other than chucking them in the bin. MJ Jacob, the Waterford-based artist behind has a suggestion — Plantable Pencils. These are graphite pencils that can be planted once you finish using them. They come in packs of four, and you can choose either herbs or flowers. If you opt for herbs, you will receive a pack containing thyme, sage, coriander, and cherry tomato seeds. And if you select flowers, your pencils will grow in to forget-me-nots, daisies, carnations and sunflowers. The pencils are on sale for €14 from Family rules This list of family rules by Dublin-based Fab Cow has us feeling all warm and fuzzy. The award-winning business, run by artist Francis Leavey and his partner, Bernie Cryan, celebrates the kindness, respect, affection, acceptance, and love that make having a family so special. It's one of a range of prints, cards, and paintings created by Leavey and sold at It costs €29.95. Making memories Children have the funniest thoughts and ideas. It's worth taking the time to jot them down for posterity, as they will inevitably lose some of their quirkiness as they get older. This 3-Year Journal for Kids allows you to preserve those memories for years to come. Two pages are devoted to each week of the year. One asks children to answer a question. For example, they might be asked to name a favourite song. The other page sets them an activity or task. They could be asked to draw or describe their dream meal and then try to cook it with an adult. The following year, they will be asked to answer the same questions and complete the same activities and tasks. This allows parents to observe their children's evolution over the three years. The journal will inevitably become a cherished memento for parents and children. It's designed by Emma Jane Leeson, an Irish mum who has written a range of books, which are available from The journal is sold through the website, alongside other gift ideas, and costs €24.99. Festival of creativity If you're looking for family-friendly fun this May bank holiday weekend, you'll find it in Glenbower Woods in East Cork. Greywood Arts, the organisation that runs community and educational programmes in Killeagh, is hosting its May Sunday Festival, which celebrates local creativity, history, and ecology. The festival runs from Friday to Monday, May 2 to 5, and will feature lots of free events. There will be nature walks in the woods, interactive art performances, children's yoga sessions, live music, children's workshops in art and creative writing, an opportunity to build dens in the woods, bike rides, and more. Visit for the full lineup. Books galore Lismore Castle and town will provide the enchanting setting for a celebration of books, stories, illustration, and imagination this Saturday, May 2. The Co Waterford annual Towers and Tales Children's Book Festival will feature a range of readings, workshops, and other events with some of the most popular Irish and international writers and book illustrators. These include Sarah Bowie, the author of the bestselling Nina Peanut is Amazing; Leona Forde, writer of the Milly McCarthy book series; and Chris Judge, the author of the popular Evil Duck and the Feather of Fortune. Other events include book swaps, doodle walls, circus performers, and book clinics, which involve children talking to the book doctor about their favourite reads and being given a prescription recommending other books to explore. Visit Read More Tots to teens: Learn the simple signs parents can use to communicate with their babies
