A gentle reflection on life in the beautiful Dromara Hills in County Down, Northern Ireland. When you go through The Mountain Gate with Maggie Doyle, you'll hear stories about this landscape and the natural world.
In this Spring episode, Maggie is reunited with a friendly starling, explores the history of the Red Kite population (www.redkitetoursni.com) and talks to artist Rachel Fitzpatrick about finding inspiration in birds nests (www.rachelfitzpatrickdesign.com) Finally, she reads a poem called Dechomet Mountain written one hundred years ago by a young poet called Michael McKay

A Magysfarm Production.

For more information see the Red Kite Retreat page on Facebook.

THE MOUNTAIN GATE

A gentle reflection on life in the Dromara Hills in County Down, Northern Ireland.  In this second episode of The Mountain Gate, Maggie Doyle meets Karen and Stephen Malcolmson who have created the 'Red Kite Retreat' a new eco-tourism development on Dechomet Mountain. The project includes the newly planted 'Warrior's Wood'.  She also meets hill walker and Trek NI writer Derek Flack on the slopes of Slieve Croob to talk about the range of walks in this beautiful landscape. (more information on the Red Kite Retreat Facebook page and trekni.com)

A Magysfarm Production.  See magysfarm.co.uk for more details.

THE MOUNTAIN GATE - Autumn Walks

Author Maggie Doyle takes you on a gentle journey into the Dromara Hills in County Down, Northern Ireland.  In this episode, she reads extracts from her book 'Mountain Notes - A Nature Diary' which was written in 2020.  It's a poetic journal about her return to live on the family farm in Dechomet, her reconnection with the landscape there and the re-imagining of the farm as a place where music can grow. 
www.magysfarm.co.uk

Maggie also meets John and Elaine McCombe who work and live at The Turnip House, a craft workshop and tea room in Benraw at the foot of the Windy Gap in the Mournes Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
www.turniphouse.com

'Dree' was composed by Maggie and performed by guitarist Matt Curran.

The Mountain Gate - Winter Reflections

A gentle journey into the Dromara Hills, Co Down with Maggie Doyle. In this episode, she celebrates the return of the cuckoo to the area, the fragrant May hedgerows and reads an extract from her nature diary 'Mountain Notes'.  She also meets the award winning, local poet Jim McElroy who has released his first collection 'We Are the Weather' based on his childhood on the family farm in Dechomet and his memories of his father Bernard McElroy.  Jim's writing has been described as 'distinctive and compelling' and he was the 2021 winner of the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing and the Francis Ledwidge Poetry Award.  He was nominated for the Pushcart and Forward Prizes and his work has been recognised by other award bodies including the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Poetry Ireland.  You can order his book published by Smith|Doorstop at poetrybusiness.co.uk and you can order Maggie's book by emailing magysfarm@gmail.com
You can also read more of Jim's poems at magysfarm.co.uk.
The Mountain is produced and presented by Maggie Doyle and the music 'Dree' is arranged and performed by Matt Curran.
This podcast will return with an Autumn episode later in the year.

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