CUIMHNEAMH
Annual Trustees Report to NI Charity Commission for the year ended 31[st] March 2026
Cuimhneamh was established in the South Armagh area as an organisation with the aim of raising awareness of the life and works of Michael J. Murphy – writer, broadcaster, folklorist and chronicler of the lives of ordinary communities in the Slieve Gullion, Rathlin and Tyrone areas.
The areas mentioned above ‘areas of deprivation’ and yet are steeped in a rich history of culture. Cuimhneamh aims to revive that sense of culture and whilst recording it, educate those who are unaware of it.
We started out with the intention of making local people aware of the existing works of Michael J. Murphy but have discovered that these works were unfinished and we have continued to record the stories of those who lived through their descendants. People still have that thirst for knowledge of their ancestors and the lives they led and also take pride in the experiences they endured.
We are intent in bringing this history to the fore and bringing it to the local area, our service has developed according to the needs of the community whilst still meeting the Public Benefit requirements and our aims and purposes.
Michael J. Murphy Winter School 2025: Emigration and Immigration
The annual Michael J. Murphy Winter School, organised by Cuimhneamh,took place in Tí Chulainn Cultural Activity Center, Maphoner, Mullaghbane, South Armagh, on the weekend of November 14th to 16th. The title for this year’s event was ‘Emigration and Immigration’.
Prior to the Winter School, Cuimhneamh hosted a curated photographic exhibition of the work of Michael J. Murphy in Newry City Library as part of Iúr Cinn Fleadh celebrations.
Each year the Cuimhneamh committee chooses a theme for the school which is linked to the life and works of South Armagh’s foremost writer, folklorist, broadcaster, photographer and socialist republican. In his lifetime Michael J. compiled probably the largest collection of oral tradition by any single individual in the English speaking world. In the last few years the school dealt with ‘The Hiring Fair’(2024); ‘Who Fears To Speak of ’98?’(2023); ‘From Our Past To Our Future(2022)’and ‘Borders and Traditions’(2017).
The reason for this year’s choice was that Michael J. was born in Eden Street, Liverpool, in 1913 of emigrant parents from Dromintee, South Armagh, and became an immigrant in 1922 when he was brought to Dromintee. He has written and broadcast extensively about the experience, especially in ‘Finding my Way’ (BBC 1963).
The school began on Friday, November 14th at 7pm when the keynote speaker Mick Lynch, former General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) in Britain, spoke to an audience of over three-hundred people. He detailed the problems facing his parents, who were emigrants to England from South Armagh and Cork, and the struggles of the trade union movement for recognition in a hostile environment. The Cuimhneamh committee is immensely grateful to Mick and his wife, Mary ,for taking the time to come to South Armagh and for their attendance at all of the other activities on the programme.
A special word of thanks to South Armagh singers Blaithín Mhic Cana and Garret Doran who enlivened the evening with songs of emigration and immigration in both Irish and English.
The next event on Friday night featured a forum, expertly chaired by local historian Úna Walsh. The panelists spoke from both an emigrant and an immigrant perspective: Csilla Toldy, an Hungarian writer who came to reside in Rostrevor, County Down; Damian Doyle, from Magheral, Annaclone, County Down, who struggled to enter the US; Sherman Hall who came from Rockville, Maryland, USA, to settle in Forkill, South Armagh ,and Conor McGinn from Bessbrook, South Armagh, who emigrated to Liverpool and was later elected to public office.
All four spoke eloquently about their experiences of emigration and immigration and the forum was then opened to the audience for questions and for an overwhelmingly positive response to all of the speakers.
On Saturday evening there was another capacity audience for readings of poetry, prose and non-fiction. This section was compered by Cuimhneamh committee member, Rosemary Tumilty, and featured readings from The Wordsmiths group from Teac Mallon Meigh , South Armagh, and the prize-winners from the writing workshops ‘Ode to Sea and Stone’ which Rosemary conducted in the weeks leading up to the Winter School. The latter pieces were inspired by the photographs of Michael J. Murphy and some archive film from NI Screen Digital Film Archive. Cuimhneamh would like to sincerely thank Bronagh McAtasney of Northern Ireland Screen for providing the films and for her attendance on the night. Music was provided by harpist Mia Grace McMonigle and the overall winner of the ‘Ode to Sea and Stone’ writing competition was Catriona Kearns with her poem ‘Forging through Memories’.
The Saturday night concluded with an illustrated talk by Kevin Murphy entitled ‘Little South Armagh’ which centered on a community in Ontario, Canada, where many people from South Armagh settled from the early years of the nineteenth century and who made contact again in 2003 through research on the wreck of the ship ‘Hannah’ which struck ice in The Gulf of St.Lawrence in April 1849 en route from Warrenpoint to Quebec.
The final part of the weekend took place in the townland of Aghayallogue, Killeavy, South Armagh, when a sizeable crowd, including some local relatives of Jim Larkin, the renowned labour leader, gathered to unveil a plaque on the site of the Larkin family ancestral home. Proceedings were chaired by the Cuimhneamh Treasurer, Ryan Morgan, who thanked the McGuinness family for permission to erect the plaque on the site and the unveiling was undertaken by Tommy McKearney from Moy, Co.Tyrone, a former political prisoner, author and a founding member of the Independent Workers Union. Tommy gave an eloquent speech on the importance of Jim Larkin and Mick Lynch did likewise on the legacy of Larkin and James Connolly.
Following our Winter School, Cuimheamh committee member Rosemary Tumilty conducted a ‘VOCALIS Public Speaking Workshop ’ delivered by Sinéad Lunny for those who participated in the writing workshops, enabling them to develop their written work into performance pieces for public speaking.
Now We’re Talking Project
Cuimhneamh has had a spectacular boost with entering a £145,000 partnership with The Public Record Office (PRONI), Belfast, and The Nerve Centre, Derry, for a project entitled ‘Now We’re Talking’. This project will catalogue and widen access to the papers of two significant cultural figures from the North: the folklorist, writer and broadcaster Michael J. Murphy from Dromintee, South Armagh,and the author and broadcaster Sam Hanna Bell.These two men were close friends over many years.
The importance for the Cuimhneamh organisation is that, since 2013, it has hosted the Michael J.Murphy Winter School in Tí Chulainn Cultural Centre, Maphoner, Mullaghbane, and is ideally placed to promote this project in South Armagh.
The official launch of ‘Now We’re Talking’ took place in PRONI on Wednesday, March 19th,2025 with Cuimhneamh committee members in attendance. Our Secretary Kevin Murphy serves on the Steering Committee and has recently promoted the project amongst students in Dromintee Primary School with colleagues from the Nerve Centre.
Unique Genealogical South Armagh Project
Cuimhneamh intends for the Tí Chulainn Cultural Centre to become a real hub for genealogical information for the whole area and to build a database of genetic connections in South Armagh. A project, originally the brainchild of Dr Damien McCann was reawakened 2 years ago with the appointment of Erin (McCann) Netzke of Kincardine, Ontario, Canada as principal volunteer and director. Trojan work has been done in co-ordinating the DNA data and Family Trees of the participants with over 40 additional people being added to the database in the latter half of 2025 with the aid of Cuimhneamh committee members Kevin
Murphy and Eugene McCann. This work is ongoing and hopes to result in the data being collated and presented in Ti Chulainn.
Public Benefit
Our organisation meets the public benefit requirement by having the following purposes:
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To advance education and training for the benefit of the public of South Armagh and its environs of the North of Ireland and the border counties.
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Advance education through the provision of free training and educational courses and development programmes for the local community
The direct benefits flowing from providing free training and educational courses and development programmes include:
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a) Enhanced education and understanding to enhance employment capacity
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b) Increased skills and knowledge base
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c) Reduced stress and worry and improved outlook
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d) Improved mental health and emotional well-being
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e) Reduced anxieties and a reduced sense of social isolation and disconnection
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f) Enhanced confidence, self-esteem and improved outlook
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g) Enhanced personal development
Having regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement, Cuimhneamh has
developed over the years and their provision of services and activities has developed also. We now hold an annual event, the Michael J Murphy Winter School which is known throughout Ireland and beyond.
It is a free event aimed at a particular theme each year relevant to the local area and the community. We involve the local schools as much as possible instilling in them a love of their local history and culture.
Accounts
Our Receipts and Payments account showed a Surplus of £9,852 this year compared to a deficit last year of £607
We received funding and are appreciative to the following groups in the 2025-26 year:
Arts Council of NI - £4,230
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council - £1369.99
Dromintee Trust - £10,000
There will be and is no adverse effect on the Charity delivering on its objectives.
We have no debts or creditors.
Our three trustees are:
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Anthony Flynn (Chair)
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Kevin Murphy (Secretary)
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Ryan Morgan (Treasurer)
This Report was compiled and approved on 29/04/2026.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Anthony Flynn (Chair) Ryan Morgan (Treasurer)