By Helen Shaw – curator Tóchar Stories
There are stories woven into our family names and into the place names we live in and where we belong. The village of Carbury in Co. Kildare carries history, myth and folklore in its name – tracing its story back to Cairbre Uí Chiardha, a descendant of the 5th century chieftain Niall of the Nine Hostages. Overlooking the village, on Carbury Hill, Carbury Castle,traces its roots to Strongbow , leader of the Norman invasion in Ireland, but there are megalithic Bronze Age sites within the hill.
On January 24th Tóchar Stories co-hosted a community storytelling event in Carbury under our series ‘Sharing our Past, Imagining our Future’ and partnered with Carbury Village Residents Association, the Knockirr & Carbury Bog Trust and the Carbury Church of Ireland community – where the beautiful village church, at the foothills of the Castle, is celebrating 250 years.
WATCH : A Birdeye’s View of Carbury from the village to the Castle and the Bog
Longford artist Luke Casserly facilitated a story weaving session illustrating how we carry stories within our own names, our family names and how they connect us in our sense of place of belonging – in our stories of identity. The retired local GP and writer, Dr Philip Brady, who was born in Edgeworthtown and lives in Edenderry, read some of his own poetry, often inspired by stories of people he met through his work.
Philip also shared his intimate knowledge of local history. One of Philip’s poems ‘Carbury Village Pump’ is on display facing the Carbury Community Centre at the restored pump.
Carbury is known as the source of the River Boyne (Abhainn na Boinne) and the Boyne name itself is linked to the myth of the Celtic Goddess Boann and connects to the Salmon of Knowledge. While the source is described as Trinity Well, also known as an Tobar Segais – the well of wisdom) at Newberry House , for Carbury locals like Ciaran Duggan, chairman of the Knockirr & Carbury Bog Trust, the Boyne rises in Carbury bog. “The bog basin, the original bog basin, drains two small little rivers, one of which is the very head of the Boyne. And all that water feeds into the Boyne” , Ciaran says.
Carbury & Knockirr Bog is a remarkable story. Unusual in Ireland, it has been owned and managed by a community trust since 1906. It was through that bog trust and group that Tóchar Stories came to know Carbury, through the work of local artist and photographer Shane Hynan, secretary of the trust.
View: Experience Shane’s Photography
Shane grew up around the bog and his work draws inspiration on our changing relationship with the bog landscape – and how we value it. The trust manages turf cutting in Knockirr – across about 20% of the bogland – and Shane’s work tells that story and documents the changing relationship of people, places and nature with the bogs across the Midlands. At the storytelling session Shane presented his photographic work and shared his own evolving attitude to the bog – as a place of memory, culture, belonging, heritage and story as well as one of changing values.
Following the workshop and Shane’s presentation everyone had the chance to chat over lunch before venturing out for a heritage walk to Carbury Church of Ireland where Rev Alan Melbourne welcomed people in and even played the organ to showcase the wonderful acoustics of the 250 year church. Locals Charlie Hickson and Liz Potterton, members of the Church, shared its history and how it connects so intimately to family history, particularly that of Carbury Castle and Newberry House, both visible from the church grounds.
This is the second of our ‘Sharing our Past, Imagining our Future” community storytelling events and we will share more from the Carbury engagement in video and audio. If you would like to become involved in our work – contact us on tocharstories@gmail.com
Connected Story: Watch and Read Tóchar Stories Bogland Between the Sights of The Sun – where Shane Hynan was a guest speaker