MORE than 150 people flocked to Mullaghdun Community Centre on Wednesday evening last for an information night about ‘Irish Cures’.

They came from as far away as Roscommon and from across neighbouring counties and enjoyed hearing from local people who ‘have the cure’ share their legacy as well hearing very personal stories from those who were helped overcome debilitating illness, even cancer, by their faith in a cure.

The hugely enjoyable evening was facilitated Teresa O’Loughlin of Think6 on behalf of West Cavan West Fermanagh Regeneration Project. It formed part of their series of ‘Shared Heritage’ workshops.

The programme manager is Enniskillen-born, Roisin McManus.

“We were genuinely overwhelmed by the demand for seats, it’s definitely a topic that peaks and unites people’s interest.’

She explained that her committee also provided a directory, containing contacts for local cures.

“This proved very popular. It was heartening to see so many people from different backgrounds and from both sides of the border, make the effort on a cold November evening to come together and really have the craic with each other in such a rural location.”

The menu of tales were as many as the storytellers, with references to seventh sons of seventh sons having the cure, couples marrying with the same surname, and the sharing of recipes involving lemons and raisins (for blood pressure), and the locations of the many ‘healing’ wells across the area.

This was the penultimate event for the ‘Shared Heritage’ project.

The final one, for which there are only limited spaces available, is on Tuesday next, 19th November. It is entitled, “Shared Language, Landscape and Different Drums”, and it will take place in the Cleenish Centre, Belnaleck.

The presenter is Linda Ervine who is Irish language development worker at the East Belfast Mission. A former teacher at the Ashfield Girls’ High School, Linda took interest in the Irish language and has promoted it extensively within the Unionist loyalist communities.

Linda sees the Irish language as universal and belonging to all communities and wishes to counter the notion that the Irish language is politically and exclusively attached to nationalism and republicanism.

She will give an insight into the extent of the Irish language in Protestant history and culture and how Irish linguistic terms and references have been a part of everyday life in Unionist Protestant communities.

Our shared culture of music will also be explored by Roy Arbuckle of ‘Different Drums’ fame.

There will be two speakers on the local perspective of the Marble Arch Caves Geopark and it’s the entrepreneurial opportunities.

Entertainment over lunch will be in the form of the cross-border a cappella group, ‘The Janzens’.

Anyone interested in attending is asked to give their names by 12pm this Friday, 15th for catering purposes.

For a copy of the Cures Directory or for any other information, please contact roisin@cceb.ie or telephone 0035371 985 3979.

Both events, the Cures and next week’s, are funded by the International Fund for Ireland.