PEACEPLUS Cross Border Heritage Programme

The 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 Council.

Mid Ulster Visit – Friday 17 April and Saturday 18 April 2026

This visit will look at Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone. At a time when Ireland was dominated by powerful Gaelic Chieftan’s 1594 – 1603, Hugh O’Neill built his power base in Dungannon where he governed with Irish laws and customs. We will explore where his castle was and visit Tullaghoge Fort which came to historical prominence in the 11th Century when it was a dynastic centre and inaugural place for Cenel nEogain (later the O’Neills).

Friday 17 April 2026 Tullaghoge Fort – Mid Ulster Participants
13:30 Mid Ulster participants visit Tullaghoge Fort
13:30 – 14:30 Tour of Tullaghoge Fort (led by Stephanie Lavery)
14:30 Depart Tullaghoge Fort and make own way to The Hill of O’Neill

Friday 17 April 2026 The Hill of O’Neill
Donegal and Monaghan participants make their own way to The Hill of O’Neill

o 15:00 Arrival and Registration
o 15:00 – 16:00 Tour of Hill of The O’Neill
o 16:00 – 16:30 Transfer to The Cohannon Inn
o 17:00 – 18:00 A Kirkpatrick: Photographing and videoing heritage sites.
o 18:00 – 18:30 Speaker James Kane ‘ The O’Neill’s and O’`Donnell’s
Research on heritage sites for Ancient Clan website
o 19:00 – 21:00 Dinner (All participants: Mid Ulster, Donegal and Monaghan)

Saturday 18 April 2026 The Cohannon Inn

09:30 – 10:30 The O’Neill’s & The O’Donnell’s
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:45 Speaker: Brian Sloan, Archaeologist Queen’s University, Belfast
‘The Excavation of Tullaghoge Fort’
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 13:30 Depart to Tullaghoge Fort (Donegal and Monaghan participants)
13:00 – Mid Ulster participants Depart – (Already visited Tullaghoge Fort Fri 14 April 2026)
13:30 – 15:00 Tour of Tullaghoge Fort with Brian Sloan (Donegal and Monaghan participants)
15:00 Coach Departure to Cohannon Inn
15:30 Participants Depart

Ancient Clans – The Donegal Gathering
28 & 29 November 2025!

This event took place in Letterkenny, Donegal 28 & 29 November 2025 celebrating The O’Neill’s and Ancient Clans and to explore our shared heritage. The Donegal gathering aimed to strengthen links between groups, with visits to strategic clan sites, and to develop the Ancient Clans website. Click here for more information

Let us know what heritage events you would like included

Visit the Ancient Clan website for information on heritage
The aim of the website is to encourage people to visit and understand our rich shared history, heritage and culture.

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.

13 November 2025 Launch of PEACEPLUS Cross Border Heritage Project

Delighted to launch the PEACEPLUS Cross Border Heritage Project today in Ranfurly House with the Chair of Mid Ulster District Council Cllr. Francis Burton, Chair of Mid Ulster PEACEPLUS Partnership John McNamee with Programme Manager Heather McLaughlin, The Rural Centre who will manage the project.

Some of the participants who will take part in the first event in Donegal on the 28 & 29 November 20205 also attended the launch. Participants from Mid Ulster, Donegal and Donegal will explore the shared heritage of the O’Neils and ancient clans. and will have the opportunity to meet and make connections in Donegal over the 3 year project.

For more information email Heather McLaughlin: heather@theruralcentre.co.uk