Thomas McKenna and Ronnie Irvine, on
behalf of UFRC , attended an impressive Buffet Reception hosted by
Dungannon Council in honour of 20th Anniversary of Dungannon Rambling
Club. Joan Hughes spoke eloquently on the history of the club.
Dungannon Club hosted one of the earliest UFRC spring meetings
at Peatlands Park when UFRC was in the process of being set up.
Dungannon has always been known as a well organized and friendly club
. May Walker, a member acted as UFRC Secretary for two years.
Dungannon Club has been
prominent in helping to setup and organize
walks in the border areas over the last number of years. UFRC
congratulate Dungannon on their anniversary .
THE MOURNE RAMBLING GROUP
CLICK FOR BIGGER PICS.
We are a hill
walking club, even though everyone knows us as “The Mourne Ramblers”.
Founded in 1969, the hills we walk are mainly, but not exclusively,
the Mournes. We are unusual in that we walk every Sunday of the year,
offering up to three walks. While all groups leave from the same
place each Sunday, we have a range of starting points over the year to
give a wide variety of walks. Our club has members from Doagh,
Belfast, Craigavon, County Meath, County Roscommon, and of course from
around the Mournes. The background of our walkers is varied, ranging
from hill walkers and mountaineers, through to skiers, runners,
cyclists, and kayakers There may even have been the odd couch potato.
What unites us is a love of the hills, and all the associated
activities such as wildlife, photography, star gazing and travel.
Members have trekked, not just in Europe and Africa, but from the
Himalayas to New Zealand, and the Canadian Rockies to Peru.
The committee
decides on the programme of walks for the entire year, specifying the
grid reference of the start point and the leaders for each of the
groups. This programme is distributed to members at the start of the
year.
Our regular
walks
·are led walks, with a
maximum of 15 in any group.
·start at 10.30 a.m.
throughout the year, with a couple of exceptions.
·vary in ascent from
approximately 2,000 feet to 3,500, depending on which group you chose
and usually last between 4.5 to 5.5 hours.
·do not involve
contacting anyone in advance. Once you are a member; you just turn up
on the day. You can even decide which walk you are doing on arrival.
Our trips away
·tend to have 3 days
walking, especially in Ireland. Recent ones in Ireland have been to
The Galtees, Kerry, and Donegal
·may be longer if we
cross the water, and recently have included Lochaber, the Crianlarich
Hills, Glen Clova, the English Lake District and Wales.
We have
approximately 120 members, and always welcome new faces such as
·active hill and
mountain walkers, those with limited hill experience and those new to
hill walking.
·experienced walkers may
join us for a couple of walks, before deciding whether they wish to
become members.
·Inexperienced walkers
and if so we will lay on a taster walk
Membership is available for those 18
and over. We have two new members’ officers, who will help you decide
which group may be appropriate. They will provide you with detailed
advice sheets on recommended gear and safety procedures. We do not
allow dogs on the walks.
In addition to
enjoying the company of others, and the built in social dimension of
trips away, we have each year
·a club picnic
·an annual dinner
·a digital imaging show
and meal.
·regular newsletters
·special walks, such as
the star trek and sunrise walks, which have a social dynamic of their
own.
We encourage all
members to do some leading, although we appreciate this is not for
everyone. Some of our leaders are qualified as mountain leaders, and
lead for other organisations. We provide training on a fairly regular
basis, covering
·basic skills of
navigation, and route planning
·group management,
including emergency procedures.
·advanced navigation,
which has included night navigation for the romantics amongst us.
We also have
experienced leaders as mentors, and encourage the uptake of places on
the excellent UFRC courses, such as, outdoor/ hill First Aid and
Navigation including GPS.
Finally we are,
of course, members of UFRC, provide insurance through them to protect
leaders, and make an annual contribution to the Mourne Mountain Rescue
Team.
You will find
more details on our new web site (launched Jan 2011), with lots of
advice and useful links.
Are you interested in walking on Saturdays with a group of friends?
Our club is especially suitable for over-50s and even better if you
have your bus pass, as in the main, we use public transport to get to
and from our walks.
The walks are not too strenuous and we go to places all over Northern
Ireland. In the winter months, October to March, we tend to walk
within a 15 mile radius of central Belfast. We usually start around
lunchtime in order to be back in Belfast city centre for 5.00 pm, as
we then go back to a hall where we have tea followed by some
entertainment. This is optional, if you just want to go on the walk
that is fine. The evening finishes about 7.30 pm.
In the months April to September, we start in the morning (not too
early) and take a picnic lunch, arriving back in Belfast late
afternoon or early evening depending on how far away the walk has
been. On average the walks are between three and five miles in
the winter and five to eight miles in the summer.
The club policy is that prospective members can join us on up to three
walks before applying to join the club. One of our club guidelines is
that no dogs except guide dogs are permitted on rambles.
Annual membership is £15, payable in October.
It is advisable to let a member of the club know the first time you
join a walk so that we can meet you and introduce you to other club
members. There is no obligation to walk every Saturday; you can
choose the walks which suit you. To find out where the
next walk will take place and the meeting point and time please
contact:-
Margaret Murray Tel. No. 02890768249.
Detailed Programme information can also be found on The Ulster
Federation Of Rambling Clubs web-site
History of Belfast CHA Rambling Club
C.H.A.
stands for Countrywide Holidays Association.
The C.H.A was founded in 1893 by the Rev. T. Arthur Leonard from Colne
in Lancashire who pioneered the outdoor movement in Britain. The
organization was originally known as the Co-Operative Holidays
Association, and was set up as a body to provide holidays. In 1913 he
left the association to form the Holiday Fellowship, now commonly
known as hf.
The organization expanded quickly with rambling clubs being formed in
all parts of the UK. The first club in Ireland was the Dublin club,
formed in 1922, followed by our club in 1926. On almost every
Saturday since, members have been out discovering places of beauty and
interest which are so plentiful in the province.
By the end of the Second World War there were approximately 80 clubs
across the UK and by 1978 this had risen to 98. In the early 1950’s
the name of the Association was changed to the Countrywide Holidays
Association.
In 2004 the CHA changed its structure and became the Countrywide UK
Trust, an association with no members and therefore no affiliated
clubs. For historical reasons and because its objectives remain the
same, the Belfast club retained the name.
The Dublin club is now known as the Countrywide Hill-Walkers
Association. We have strong links with Dublin CHA enjoying a joint
ramble and dinner once a year, attending each others’ annual reunions
as well as sometimes going on holiday together.
We also have a close association with the hf Rambling Club, Belfast.
This includes a joint ramble in July, a Carol Service in December, and
mutual invitations to our annual holidays.
We
have had many very able and talented Presidents over the years but are
very proud to say that the late Mr. Wilfred Capper MBE, who was
a driving force in the development of the Ulster Way, was a President
and member of the club for many years.
Wilfred also helped to found
yhani and the Ulster Society for the Preservation of the
Countryside. In 1996 he was awarded the John Hunt Award by
Countrywide Holidays for outstanding achievement or endeavour in
increasing human well-being through outdoor activities.
Many firm friendships have been formed over the years and the purpose
of the club is not only for healthy activity but also for social
interaction. We will give you a very warm welcome if you decide to
join us.
Northern Ireland Young Walkers .
Many young walkers may find it unproductive to join a walking club as
many contain mostly older members with different aspirations
and probably very different lifestyles from those in their twenties or
thirties . Northern Ireland Young Walkers is designed for those
who wish to walk and socialize with others of the same age range .The
target members are 18-30 year olds. This has held through the years,
but as key members get older it has become 20's 30's + and if older
members want to join there is no exclusion policy. Over the
years they have used a few web providers, seeking one which presents
the club best, and allows members to interact. The current site allows
members to post comments under each walk - and arrange lifts etc
(saving the walk leader from having to co-ordinate this).
The club has its own social events and a steadily increasing
membership.
Established in 2005 by a small group of friends, the Northern Ireland
Young Walkers has not only grown from strength to strength in terms of
its membership-
from half a dozen to an active membership of nearly 90, and a
readership of over 150,
but has also provided training courses and skills attainment sessions
for its affiliates.
In the
last year or so the club has grown to have a separate social side -
and while many walks work with the socialising, there is a separate
social calendar run by a social secretary.
With the attainment of a National Lottery Awards for All grant in
2007, the club was pleased to be able to offer its members the
opportunity to train in REC First Aid, hillwalking skills and the
Mountain Leader Award, through its Strides for Success project. These
residential courses were undertaken by experienced and new members
alike and proved edifying, informative and enjoyable.
The thriving membership and level of commitment involved with taking
hill walking forward has not equated with an impersonal club filled
with fanatics whose sole purpose is going further, higher, faster.
Instead, a warm friendly atmosphere where walks and scrambles are
undertaken by like-minded people, has developed. Strong friendships
have been forged and social events including nights out, dinners,
house parties, salsa, pub quizzes and weekends away are the norm.
As a member I am often asked ‘Where is the club based ?’ A definitive
answer does not exist, but rather my reply is frequently, ‘Wherever we
are assembling for that day’s walk.’ Without meaning to be as flippant
as it sounds, I feel that it is fitting that a hill walking club is
not centred at a single address or base, but is as nomadic as the
activity itself. Whether it’s the Mournes, Sperrins, Wicklow, or the
Antrim Plateau, the club is based in whatever car park in which we
convene and where the cakes and coffee are served up after.
The walks themselves are as varied as the people who lead them. All
members are encouraged to plan and lead walks to whatever their level
of competency. Newer members gain confidence in leading walks along
coastal and forest paths, while more experienced members often treat
us to more strenuous ventures ’off the beaten track’.
The future for the club looks as bright and promising as the last few
years, with plans to apply for further funding to educate members in
initiatives such as ‘leave no trace’, more first aid training and
navigational skills. More weekends away are intended and a busy diary
of upcoming walks is being prepared for 2009.
The Membership Secretary
Andrew Branagh
ajbranagh@hotmail.com
is always glad to hear from anyone wishing to come along and try out
a walk or two, or even anyone just
curious as to what we do. Rest assured that at the Northern Ireland
Young Walkers, a warm and friendly welcome awaits you. Web-site :
www.NIYW.co.uk
(Contributed by Lynne McClelland with additions by Andrew Branagh)
hf RAMBLING
CLUB BELFAST
The origins of hf go back a long way,
starting informally in 1926 with a group of friends who enjoyed
walking and was formalised in 1927 when a joint club was formed with
the Countrywide Holiday Association (CHA) However during the first
year constitutional differences arose and it was decided by amicable
agreement to separate and to form a Holiday Fellowship group. The
inaugural meeting was held on 28 Feb 1927 and a committee was
appointed from the seven men and seven women who were present. At an
early stage rules were drawn up covering all aspects of Club
management, these were updated as time passed evolving into today’s
Constitution.
A thriving Social Club operated for many years with music, drama,
dancing, games etc. These gradually tailed off as times changed and
the “Troubles” finally brought the Social Club to an end; but
socialising among members is still alive and well. We regularly share
a meal after walks to which CHA members are invited and hf/CHA
socialise again at our respective annual dinners and holiday breaks. .hf
annual summer break takes place at the end of August so far this has
generally been in the border counties.
In Feb 2007 hf celebrated its 80th anniversary at a lunch
at which all members attended and some friends were also invited.
A Carol Service, organised jointly with CHA takes place each December,
followed by tea and chat.
A cottage rented at Upper Ballagh, Newcastle, has been widely used and
was particularly appreciated during WW2.In addition to our club many
other groups and organisations enjoyed using it and returned to it
regularly over the years. Unfortunately the owner was unwilling to
invest in repair or modernisation and gradually it fell into
disrepair.
Membership is 52 most of whom are in retirement and despite efforts we
are no longer able to attract younger people. In earlier years
membership exceeded 150 but not all walked, the Social Club boosted
numbers .
We walk every Saturday afternoon commencing 2pm and these walks would
be graded “easy” lasting 2-3 hours. Once every month there is a longer
walk commencing 11 am which lasts 4-5 hours and is graded “medium”
Membership fee is £6,subject to annual review, and has been so for
some time. A copy of our biannual programme is sent out in response to
all enquiries and sets out details of walks and how to make contact.
We do not have a website
Click photos for larger pictures
Lagan Valley Rambling Club
In May 2001 the Health
Promotion Agency provided a small grant to set up the Lagan Valley
Exploration Project. Bill Ervine used the grant to organise a series
of Tuesday evening walks that summer and to get guests to explain the
history and wildlife of the river from Lagan Meadows to Slieve Croob.
In September, when the grant ran out, the walkers decided to set up
the Lagan Valley Rambling Club, to extend the walks to weekends and to
widen the range to the rest of Northern Ireland and beyond.
Our club is based in Lisburn, it has approximately 30 members, of
which about 10 – 15 turn up for each walk. Most members are late
middle aged so most of the walks we do would be in the easy category.
We tend to walk in the more picturesque parts of the country, and
while we like the mountains we seldom climb to the top.
We have programmes for both weekend and evening walks. On the first
Sunday of the month the walk starts at 2 pm, and is usually to
somewhere pretty local to Lisburn. On the second weekend we have a
Saturday walk which starts at 10 am. Finally, on the third Sunday
there is a walk starting at 10 am. These all-day walks allow us to
travel a bit further away, and we usually bring a picnic lunch. In
the winter we arrange the Saturday walks so that people can get a hot
meal in a local restaurant or café if they choose. All weekend walks
finish by teatime and we are usually back in Lisburn by 5 o’clock.
In the summer (April to September) we have a programme of Tuesday
evening walks starting at 7 pm; these are also pretty local. For all
walks we meet at the car park at Hill Street, in Lisburn, except for
the Saturday walks when we meet at the Island Centre car park. For
Hill Street, turn into the housing estate at the crossroads (traffic
lights) at the top of the hill on Laganbank Road, immediately (in 10
metres) turn right and you’re there. For the Island Centre enter the
car park by Canal Street, on the County Down side of Union Bridge.
Transport to and from the walk venues is by car pool. You are welcome
to bring your own car, but if you travel as a passenger we would like
you to make a donation to the driver. £2.00 for half-day and evening
walks, and £4.00 for a full day.
The Club also organises various social functions. Once or twice a
year we go for a weekend in a hotel. This allows us to enjoy some
walks that are too far away for a day out, on the north coast, in
Fermanagh or Donegal. A we also attend a musical show in the Island
Centre in Lisburn, for example a Musical produced by Lisnagarvey
Operatic Society. We have an annual dinner and we round off the
summer season with a social evening.
Annual membership of Lagan Valley Rambling Club is £10. The Club is
affiliated to the “Ulster Federation of Rambling Clubs” (UFRC), which
itself is affiliated to “The Ramblers Association” in Great Britain
and “Mountaineering Ireland”. We get our insurance cover through the
UFRC.
You will be most welcome to join our club, in fact you will be welcome
to join with us on one of our walks as a visitor, without obligation,
to see how you get on. I look forward to seeing you on one of the
walks, just turn up at Hill Street or the Island Centre. If you need
further information, phone me on 02892601943, or the Chairman, David
Jamison on 02892678277
Jim Allen
Secretary
Some photos of Lagan
Valley Club on their walks (click photo for larger image)
GLENS OF ANTRIM RAMBLING CLUB
The
Glens of Antrim Rambling Club had its beginning with a group of
walking enthusiasts in Cushendall in 1980, a time when walking for
leisure was not in fashion. Bobby McMullan, a Cushendall resident, in
his professional capacity as Health Promotion Manager with the
Northern Health and Social Services Board had a special interest in
promoting exercise. Having taken part in the Bannsider’s Causeway
Coast 20 mile walk, on a number of occasions with colleague Jim
Murray, he saw this as a means of giving the not so young an
opportunity to get and keep fit. David Munnis, a founder member of the
Bannside Club agreed to address an invited group of prospective
walkers in the Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club on issues affecting
formalised rambling and on how to affiliate to the Association as it
was called in those days. Bobby together with Pat Clerkin, Jeannie
Walsh, Ann McAlister, Ann O’Hara, Jim Murray and Molly Kernohan and a
few others, wanted to get more out of the beautiful countryside they
lived in and enjoy the challenges of the surrounding hills. In
recognition of his work for the club Bobby McMullan has been made an
Honorary Life Member.
Their first task, as with any organisation, was to formalise it by
giving it a name and electing a committee. As they were situated in
the midst of the glens, it was a natural choice to call our club
“The Glens of Antrim Rambling Club“. Our logo , quite appropriately is
an outline of Lurig, viewed from the coast road out of Cushendall.
Much work had to be done in negotiating with local farmers in the
Glens to allow access to their land.
Our Chairperson for the first three years was Pat Clerkin, followed by
Molly Kernohan in 1983, then Mary Doyle from 1984 to 1994. In 1994
Alan Turner was elected Chairperson and he held office until 1997 Alan
was followed by Liam Murphy for the next three years. And in 2000,
Mary Doyle was again elected Chairperson and has held that post and
guided the club confidently ever since. Our subscriptions are
nominal, enough to cover the club’s expenses, and are collected by
Patrick Powell who has been our worthy Treasurer for the last 15
years. Our membership currently stands at around 44.
Over the years, our club was known for organising challenge walks. The
Horseshoe Challenge Walk which starts and finishes in Cushendall and
covers a distance of 15 miles (25Km) and rises to a height of 1800ft
(578M) the Moyle Way Walk from Glenariff to Ballycastle over
Knocklade which is 20 Miles (37Km) rises to 1700ft. (514M). These
walks which were enjoyed by many took a lot of man and woman power to
organise and run.
The bread and butter of the club is the weekly walk, usually on a
Sunday. A long walk starting at 11-00am and a shorter walk starting at
2-00pm on alternate Sundays. We produce a Walks Programme every six
months and circulate it to our members. This programme tells you where
the walk takes place, names the meeting place, who is leading the
walk, and his or her phone number in case you need any advice on the
walk. All these walks will have been researched and led by different
club members . Most of our walks are in the Antrim hills area but our
Chairperson Mary Doyle arranges walking weekends for our members,
during the bank holidays, in the Mournes, the Sperrins or in Donegal
or Fermanagh . We insure all our club members know and respect the
“Code of Behaviour for Rambling Clubs” by having it printed on the
reverse of our Walks Programmes.
The club is fully insured.
On the social side, just before Christmas we have our “Mince Pie
Walk“, a short walk in the Cushendall area ending up in the Boat House
for our hot mince pies and a cup of tea followed by singing some
carols, usually accompanied by Brian Duffin on his guitar. Every year
in the Spring or early Summer, we have a B.B.Q. at the Cushendall Boat
House. In November we hold our annual Dinner Dance in the Londonderry
Arms Hotel in Carnlough, open to members and their guests. In 2005 we
celebrated the 25th anniversary of our founding. At the
dance that year we were honoured by the presence of Bobby McMullan and
some of our other founder members and their spouses. At these dances,
Sheila Powell leads us in her famous Circle Dances and James McKeown
leads us in some Set Dances before the main dancing of the evening,
for those who have any energy left.
A number of our members arrange, amongst themselves, to have walking
holidays abroad. Switzerland, Austria and Poland were their
destinations in recent years.
Our club is affiliated to the Ulster Federation of Rambling Clubs and
we are listed on the Federation web site.
17/01/2009