PEACEPLUS Cross Border Heritage Programme

The PEACEPLUS Cross Border Heritage Programme is a 3 year programme (October 2025 – October 2028) funded under PEACEPLUS through Mid Ulster District Council and managed by The Rural Centre.

The programme will include 15 participants each from Mid Ulster, Donegal and Monaghan interested in coming together to share our rich history, heritage and culture.

‘The PEACEPLUS Cross Border Heritage Programme is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).’

The Programme received almost £70,000 to develop a greater understanding of our shared linkages through the O’Neill and Ancient Clans heritage.

The aim of the programme is:

Advance greater linkages between groups through shared heritage.
Research strategic Ancient Clans sites.
Develop the Ancient Clans website https://ancientclans.org
Create awareness of and sensitivity to the protection and promotion of our shared heritage
Shared learning on our heritage protection and sensitive development of our heritage sites.
Build friendships through cross-border and cross community peace building initiative.

During the 3 year programme each participant commits to engage in a minimum of 12 hours contact time though a selection of the following:

Online/ face to face workshops
Donegal Visit
Monaghan Visit
Three Mid Ulster Heritage weekends
The Heritage weekends will bring people together over 2 days (10 – 12 hours) held at Hill of The O’Neill with visits to heritage sites as part of the O’Neill trail, workshops, and reenactments.

This programme is funded under PEACEPLUS though Mid Ulster District Counci

PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding Programme supported by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland administration. PEACEPLUS is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, building upon the work of the previous PEACE and INTERREG Programmes.

The Cross Border Heritage Programme will focus on the shared heritage of The O’Neill and Clans of Ancient Ulster. The aim is to support participants knowledge and to build friendships through cross-border, cross community and peace-building initiatives to enable participants to contribute to a prosperous and peaceful society. The Cross Border Heritage Programme will strengthen the sustainable links formed in the previous PEACE IV funded cross border heritage programme and further develop the Ancient Clan website which aims to share heritage sites to encourage people to visit and understand our rich shared history, heritage and culture.