Bullseye on Woodford community project

THE much anticipated Bullseye Wood Project will be launched on this Wednesday next as an initiative of Galway Community Archaeology Advisory Project, in partnership with Woodford Parish Development Group.
The project will involve the sensitive cleaning of a small children’s burial ground within woodland and the organisers are recording it as a community archaeology training programme.
The site is located over the border in Galway, just outside the village of Woodford and the aim of this project is to have the site included in the Heritage Council’s Adopt-a-Monument Scheme.
The Adopt-a-Monument Scheme (AaM) aims to empower communities to become actively involved in the conservation and interpretation of local archaelogical heritage sites by providing expertise, mentoring and support.
The initiative originates in Scotland, whereby the local community will be involved long term in the management and maintenance of the site.
It is also planned to create a green walkway around the site as a local amenity so that the archaeology, ecology and the recreational potential of the cleared woodland can be combined and made accessible to all.
The initial call to the council to have something done to preserve this small graveyard came from Helena O’Keeffe, who had been carefully tending to the site and its little graves for years.
Michael Shiel will speak on behalf of Galway County Council, the owners of the property.
The project will be officially launched by Councillor Peter Roche, cathaoirleach of Galway County Council and will also be attended by Dr Christy Cunniffe, field monument advisor.
The launch will take place at 4pm at the site and an invitation is extended to the community to support this innovative project for the area. Refreshments will follow in the Woodford Heritage Centre, where there will be a short presentation from Declan Kelly, MA in Landscape Archaeology and expert on children’s burial ground.

By Trevor Quinn