About
The tour will begin at Church Island, a small island on Lough Beg near Bellaghy which can be viewed from Longpoint Wood. The tower and spire there were built for Lord Bishop Hervey of Derry in the late 1700's.
The journey will continue to Bellaghy Bawn which was built around 1619 by Sir Baptist Jones and features a mix of various building styles from different periods with the main house lived in until 1987.
Next on this Literature and Heritage tour is a visit to Seamus Heaney’s Grave, the poet's final resting place in Bellaghy. The inscription on his headstone is a line from Heaney's poem “The Gravel Walks”, which he used in his 1995 Nobel prize acceptance speech.
The final stop on the tour will visit Inishrush in Glenone, a historic Gaelic elite site which was home to Brian Carragh O’Neill, a great Gaelic Lord of the 16th Century.
Booking is essential as spaces are limited. Please book via Eventbrite, calling 028 7963 1510 or emailing tourism@midulstercouncil.org.
All cost £25 per person, including coach transfer departing from the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre, Burn Road, Cookstown, BT80 8DN guided tour, refreshments, and a light lunch or supper. Tour has a capacity of 25 persons.
Book Tickets
Guide Prices
| Ticket Type | Ticket Tariff |
|---|---|
| Ticket | £25.00 per ticket |
Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.
Explore More
Bellaghy Bawn, BellaghyBuilt around 1619 by Sir Baptist Jones, Bellaghy Bawn is a fortified house and bawn (the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house).
Church Island on Lough Beg, BellaghyChurch Island is a small island on Lough Beg - 1.5 miles from Bellaghy. On a visit to the island you will discover the ruins of an old church with no spire.
Events
Saturday, 7th June 2025 - Saturday, 7th June 2025
Hidden Heritage - The O’Neill & his ConnectionsCoach transfer departs from the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre, Cookstown. Includes guided tour, refreshments, and a light lunch or supper- more info
Friday, 20th June 2025 - Friday, 20th June 2025
Hidden Heritage - Crosses and CottagesCoach transfer departs from the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre, Cookstown. Includes guided tour of Ardboe Cross, Coyle's Cottage and Kinturk Cultural Centre, refreshments and a light lunch or supper.- more info
Saturday, 5th July 2025 - Saturday, 5th July 2025
Hidden Heritage - A President's NestCoach transfer departs from the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre, Cookstown. Includes guided tour of Ulysses S. Grant's ancestral homestead, refreshments, and a light lunch or supper.- more info
