11th July funday

Folks thank you very much for attending our 11th July funday, we hope you enjoyed it.
Many thanks to Rab at Dalaradia, the Rathcoole Red Hand Comrades Association, MK Minibus Belfast for their donations and a big thank you to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. Thanks to our friends in the Rathcoole Protestant Boys for entertaining us, they never let us down. A big thank you to deputy mayor Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM, local representative Matthew Brady and our local MLA Phillip Brett for attending.
Huge thank you to the residents for their patience and understanding. And last but not least a huge thank you to the various RATH/Dalaradia volunteers for their help. The council staff set to clean the area will have an easy shift, we beat them to it again 😎 Have a safe and enjoyable 11th night and 12th day everyone. Remember what it is for – Respect Heritage Culture
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.

Bonfires

Bonfires will be lit across the country today to mark and celebrate the glorious revolution and the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when King William III defeated King James II.
Bonfires were lit to not only welcome, but also lit on the hills of counties Antrim and Down to help Williamite ships navigate through Belfast Lough at night when William landed in Carrickfergus. He also went on to visit our very own Whitehouse on his way to the Boyne.
Have a safe and enjoyable time folks.
Respect Heritage Culture

Ballysillian Cultural Initiative

Dalaradia were delighted to host Ballysillian Cultural Initiative this week. A great bunch of kids involved in a great community festival.

 

Bonfires

This evening members of Dalaradia/RATH took some of the mini builders of Doonbeg Bonfire on a road trip to various bonfires.
It’s important to educate our young boys and girls on what bonfires actually mean and how important it is to continue celebrating this tradition in a respectful and dignified way. Big thanks to MK Minibus Belfast
Of course every bonfire they seen they stated “Doonbeg is better” 😅🇬🇧🔥
Respect Heritage Culture

Doonbeg Bonfire funday

RATH Community Group, Doonbeg Bonfire and the people of Rathcoole celebrate the 11th July.
Thursday at 1:30pm to 3:30pm, Doonbeg Drive.
Bouncy Castle 🏰
Slide 🤩
Assault Course 🏃‍♂️
Video Gaming Bus 🚐
Face Painting 🎨
Pop Corn 🍿
Slushie 🥤
Candy Floss 🍭
Music (Dj) 🎶
Flute Bands 🥁
Food (adults) 🍱
Party bags 🍫
Plus much much more. Please share.
ALL FREE – ALL WELCOME
Respect Heritage Culture
❤️ 👨 👩 👦 👧 🧒 👶 ❤️

Annual holidays

The Whitehouse will be closed for annual holidays from Thursday 11th July 2024 until Sunday 21st July 2024 inclusive.
Many thanks

Doonbeg Bonfire to Need for Speed Karting

Yesterday evening our group brought some of the young builders and collectors of Doonbeg Bonfire to Need for Speed Karting and McDonald’s.
It is great to see young and enthusiastic people within the estate celebrating their heritage and culture and it’s nice to treat them every now and again. Year in year after we see media bias centred around Bonfires which totally over shadows the significant meaning and history behind them. The Eleventh Night of July celebrates the Glorious Revolution (1688) and Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91). The bonfires or “Beacons” commemorate the lighting of fires on the hills of counties Antrim and Down to help Williamite ships navigate through Belfast Lough at night.
We hope the guys enjoyed it ☺️

The battle of Moira

On this day, the 24th June in the year 637AD the greatest battle ever to be fought on this island commenced on the Moira plains. Today is the 1387th anniversary of the commencement of that battle. Whether you view it in terms of the numbers on the field (100 000 combatants), duration of combat (7 days) or the stakes involved, it is by far the most significant military engagement the Ulster men ever endured.
The battle of Moira was fought by the indigenous Ulster tribes and their Ulster confederate alliance on one side and the invading Irish Gaels on the other side. As the battle lasted a full week, we will put a few posts up about this battle throughout this week.
By the 7th Century, the British Pretanic (Pictish) Kingdom of Ulster was coming under serious pressure from Gaelic encroachments on their territory and losing ground. The Gaels were not content with the land they had secured around their eastern and western invasions sites. They wanted to control all of Ulster and made their most serious move northwards to take Ulster on the 24th of June 637 AD on the battlefield at Moira. From today, the 24th, we will look in some detail at this battle for Ulster and remember the resilience of our forefathers as they resisted Irish Gaelic rule.

Doonbeg Drive

Yesterday evening members of RATH decorated Doonbeg Drive in the run up to the 11th and 12th July celebrations.
While there, we also took the opportunity to tidy the field at Doonbeg Bonfire. It’s brilliant to see young people so enthusiastic about their culture and traditions. If anyone can help them out with pallets and wood please do so – no dumping.
Did you know Bonfires even predate King William’s landing. Going back as far as circa 400AD with the coming of Christianity to Ulster. Feast days and other religious holidays were celebrated around a bonfire as the whole community joined together to feast and praise God.

Re-enactment

Yesterday seen our second annual historical re-enactment to commemorate the landing of King William III and his troops and stay in the Whitehouse area before the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. His meetings in our very building with General Schomberg changed the course of European history forever and The Whitehouse survives as a fitting tribute of those historic events.
Dalaradia wish to thank the residents for their patience and understanding and the general public for attending on what will only to continue to grow with their support.
Many thanks to our associates in the RATH. Community Group, Kragfargvs Cultural & Historical Association and the Hubb Centre and thanks to the The MOB Monkstown YCV Old Boys and Whitehouse Williamite Historical Society / Sons of Kai flute band who held their own funday and event within Rathcoole whom made their way down to ours to amalgamate. Many thanks to the various marching bands, lodges and council representatives as well as the fantastic actors in period dress. Thanks also to Dr David Hume for his most informative talk.
Lastly a big thank you to the council for supplying the beacon which was lit to commemorate the lighting of beacons around the lough upon Williams arrival.  We look forward to next year.