Annaghmakerrig estate to open up lakeside walk

A picturesque lake walk at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig is to be opened up to the public under a new partnership between the centre, Monaghan County Council and Coillte.

The agreement, formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding last Monday, will see the private estate near Newbliss made accessible to local people and visitors through a looped walk around Annaghmakerrig Lake.

The move is being described as an important step in opening up a valuable local amenity, while respecting the unique role of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre as a place of solitude and creative retreat for artists.

Members of Ballybay/Clones Municipal District held their monthly meeting at the centre last Monday, before Monaghan County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Campbell and Chief Executive Robert Burns joined representatives of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Coillte for the signing ceremony.

The Tyrone Guthrie Centre provides residential workspaces and creative residencies for artists from Ireland and around the world. Founded by renowned theatre director Sir Tyrone Guthrie at his ancestral home, the centre offers accommodation in the historic Big House and self-catering cottages, giving artists time and space to develop their work and collaborate with other creative practitioners.

Director Anna Walsh said the new lake walk would be significant for both the local community and the artists in residence who spend time at Annaghmakerrig.

“We have 20, soon to be 21/22 artists who come here from Ireland, Northern Ireland and all the rest of the world for 50 weeks of the year. They experience Monaghan and Annaghmakerrig through the Tyrone Guthrie Centre.”

Ms Walsh said the artists in residence had given positive feedback about the surroundings and expressed the hope that the opening of the lake walk would further enhance their experience.

Crucially, she said, the initiative would also “form that connection between the artists in residence and the people living in the area”.

The agreement is intended to provide a framework for the three organisations to work together on the management, development and future enhancement of the walk.

Ballybay/Clones MD, acting Cathaoirleach Cllr Richard Truell described the signing as “an important occasion”, representing a shared commitment to protecting and enhancing one of Monaghan’s natural and cultural amenities.

“The lake walk is a place where people can enjoy the beauty of the landscape, connect with nature and experience the unique heritage of Annaghmakerrig,” he said.

He said the partnership would help ensure that the walk was maintained and improved for local communities and visitors, while supporting sustainability, biodiversity, recreation and wellbeing.

“Today is about more than signing a document. It is about investing in the future of Annaghmakerrig Lake Walk and ensuring that this valuable community asset continues to thrive for generations to come,” Cllr Truell added.

Coillte Director of Forestry Operations Eamonn Kenny also welcomed the agreement, saying there was an opportunity to create something “really special” at Annaghmakerrig.

Looking out over the lake from the grounds of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, he said the setting was significant not only locally but from a cultural perspective nationally.

“When you look at this area … it’s not just important to Monaghan, it’s culturally important to the country as well,” he said.

“I think there is a chance to do something really special here, not just for the visitors that come here to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, but for the local community.”

Monaghan County Council Chief Executive Robert Burns said the agreement marked a significant step in strengthening the relationship between the local authority and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre.

He stressed that the partnership went beyond the lake walk, with opportunities to work together on funding, cultural initiatives and the development of amenities.

“This is a great institution, a fantastic resource and community with a reputation that is recognised nationally and internationally,” he said.

“We are building on existing collaborations, working together on funding opportunities and cultural initiatives, while opening up and maintaining access for the local community in a way that respects the privacy and sensitivity of the estate.”

Mr Burns said the council had a vision for a trail around the lake, with the partnership providing a basis for delivering long-term benefits for the area.

Monaghan County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Campbell welcomed the move as a “great example” of partnership working and a way of allowing local people to enjoy a setting which has traditionally been associated with the artists who come to Annaghmakerrig.

“It’s a wonderful place and, while we have to respect the solitude of the artists, poets and writers who come here, it’s fantastic that we can also work together to allow local people enjoy a walk around this beautiful setting,” he said.