Bilberry Sunday Walk this weekend

The Annual Bilberry Sunday Walk takes place this Sunday, July 31, 2022 as part of the Cruthù Arts Festival. The day starts at 11am when participants meet at Ardagh GAA Pitch and follow local guide Brendan Farrell of Ardagh Village Landscapes along the Brí Leith Walk.

The group will be accompanied by local Celtic Re-enactors Clann Chorr and Scéalta Beo storytellers. From around 1pm a picnic will take place in the garden of the neighbourhood park at Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre. Picnickers are reminded to bring picnic blankets and a picnic.

At 2pm this year's special guest Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland will give a talk about the important connections between Brí Léith (Ardagh) and Newgrange as they are found in the romantic tale Tochmarc Étaín, the Wooing of Étaín.

Anthony has been studying the mythology of the Brú na Bóinne complex for over 20 years and has found some fascinating material in the old stories. He is an author, tour guide and photographer from Drogheda. He has published nine books inspired by the mythology and archaeology of the great prehistoric monuments of the Boyne Valley.

In 2018, he discovered the remains of a giant late Neolithic henge close to Newgrange. He curates the Mythical Ireland website and social media channels and broadcasts a weekly livestream. He has appeared as an expert on the Boyne Valley on the History Channel, National Geographic, Discovery Science and Channel 4.