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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

James McMeekin and his milk float. A gorgeous Newtownards story.

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Lisa Rea Currie @lisareacurrie.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

This is a beautiful song. Lay your flags and titles down Take your place in this common ground 💚

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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Our friend Maurice Macartney wrote an incredible song for the Forgotten Famine film. Link in thread. Will never forget him walking into to the pub with guitar and lyrics, and all of us singing along. Maurice’s work is a window into the space and conversations we’re trying to carve out in our town.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Maurice Macartney's Bully's Acre All you who enter here Lay your flags and your titles down Take your place On this level ground Come and hear the call Step up, gather round We’re building our new common And a new New Town Performed by Stephen & Maurice Macartney www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k6v...

youtube.com

Bully's Acre

YouTube video by The_Combination_NI

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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

A thread here from the @heartsofdown.bsky.social introducing the work of the multitalented Maurice Macartney @jointhecoo.bsky.social. Maurice is a thinker, writer, songwriter and musician. The song at the top of the thread is beautiful.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

And one more thing for the Maurice Macartney thread. Maurice made The Spirit Cellarman film, looks at clans, clearances and commoners on the Isle of Skye, by way of a family connection. It's a fascinating story. www.heartsofdown.org/work/the-spi...

heartsofdown.org

The Spirit Cellarman — Hearts of Down

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

You hear Maurice talking about his book on the North Podcast @north-tuaisceart.bsky.social hosted by @stephenbaker.bsky.social www.heartsofdown.org/work/north-p...

heartsofdown.org

North Podcast — Hearts of Down

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Maurice is also the author of the book Combinations: Denominations, Democracy and the Politics of Nonviolence. www.heartsofdown.org/work/combina...

heartsofdown.org

Combinations — Hearts of Down

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

This is the song, Bully's Acre, written by Maurice Macartney, that appears at the end of The Forgotten Famine film. It is performed Stephen Macartney and Maurice. Hear it in full. Click the link below. In so many ways it captures the heart and soul of the film. www.heartsofdown.org/work/bullys-...

heartsofdown.org

Bully's Acre — Hearts of Down

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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Feeling grateful to the people of Newtownards for all their generosity, stories and wisdom as we made our short film about Bully's Acre and the impact of the Great Hunger in the town. While officialdom forgot this story, the people remembered. www.clairemitchell.net/blog/2025/6/...

clairemitchell.net

The Forgotten Famine — Claire Mitchell

This is a short film that I made with my friends and neighbours in Newtownards, County Down. It’s about the impact of The Great Hunger in a town that where officalidom has disremembered some parts of ...

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Andrew White @apw1970.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

An excellent film on the Great Famine's manifestation in Newtownards, and a potent reminder of its terrible impact on the North of Ireland at that time

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Dr Robyn Atcheson @robyninpink.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Last year I acted as historical consultant for this film about the workhouse burial ground in Newtownards and the impact of the Famine. So pleased to see it out in the world. #history #irishhistory #famine youtu.be/3i6-cHvtP6c?...

youtu.be

The Forgotten Famine

YouTube video by Hearts of Down

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No longer using this account. @turnedtofire.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

It's so close to home, yet I didn't know this bit of our history. That image of wealth and poverty so close together feels uncomfortably familiar. North Down gets stereotyped as if everyone's comfortably off - or rich. But today as then, stories of struggling people get lost in the shuffle.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

This is a short film about a hidden aspect of the past in a little corner of Co Down. It’s a little less hidden today! That's thanks to everyone who watched it, liked and reposted the link. The response has been so encouraging. Thank you. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i6-...

youtube.com

The Forgotten Famine

YouTube video by Hearts of Down

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

It means a lot to hear that, Ian. Thank you for these encouraging words.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Thank you for this. And couldn’t agree more. Christine Kinealy’s work is incredible.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Thanks so much for this, and for sharing. Also for mentioning Christine Kinealy’s work. We are huge fans of hers, Frank Costello and others who have shone a light on the Hunger in County Down and other areas that became disremembered from the wider famine story.

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Lemmy Caution @mysterioso.eurosky.social · 27/06/2025

Here's a fantastic short documentary, pulling aside the veil of them and us to show that money and power has always been the driver of division in Ireland.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Thank you and the quote tweet is very much appreciated. 🙏

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Thank you. That is a lovely and encouraging thing to hear.

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feeblesmcshane.bsky.social @feeblesmcshane.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Fantastic piece of work!!

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Thank you for that, Kieran. It was a journey of discovery for those of us who made it.

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J.E. Curie @scrabopower.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

When I mentioned the subject matter of this excellent film to a few local wise old heads last night they were like..yep, we know this. That's why it's so important that an under-told story is being introduced to new audiences. Worth a watch.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Ah thank you so much Ian, and thanks for sharing. This one took us a long time 😅 But we have other bits and pieces in the pipeline!

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Ian Reynolds @ianzie.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Excellent short film telling a story of forgotten local history. Very promising start to a project and account worth following.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Thank you, Rita. We really appreciate this.

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Rita Wild @ritawild.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

This short film is really worth the watch. We have forgotten the impact of An Gorta Mór on the 6 counties, travellers of the day say Newtownards was as bad as Skibbereen. Congratulations to the team who made it.

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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

A few years ago, our friend Aidan messaged his dad, to ask if he knew about a place called Bully’s Acre in our town, Newtownards, with possible famine links. Nobody knew much. After a few years of talking with friends and neighbours, and researching the history, we knew this story needed to be told

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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

This film was a labour of love. The joy of working with friends, neighbours and comrades and the excitement of discovering an important aspect of the past in our midst. Click here for full film and info about the making of it: www.heartsofdown.org/work/the-for... Follow @heartsofdown.bsky.social

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Listen out for the song at the end of the film, written by @jointhecoo.bsky.social (Maurice Macartney) and sung by his brother Stephen (King Cedar). The whole song will follow soon.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Some of us have pending books! This is Claire Mitchell posting. We have Steve, Lisa, Robyn, Maurice, Will and Catherine too. All the hallions!

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Scott Hamilton @scottham21.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

This is an amazing piece of work. 10 minutes well spent.

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(Dr) Rena Maguire @justrena.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

God but I am so glad someone is telling this story. Newtownards had the highest amount of soup kitchens. People forget the offspring of the poor farmers dragged over by the undertakers were affected too

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Thank you Rena. We’ve included some words on the website giving our sense of why people haven’t talked about this huge trauma in the town. We hope and think that’s beginning to change now.

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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Also visit @heartsofdown.bsky.social website, online home to a community arts, heritage and media collective from County Down, drawing inspiration from the radical, democratic and anti-sectarian spirit of our place. www.heartsofdown.org

heartsofdown.org

Hearts of Down

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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Watch this short film. It's what's sometimes called a 'hidden history', about a mass unmarked grave. It's about our place in another time, but it deals with events that may resonate with you, in your place. And I think it begs questions about how people in other parts of the world are treated now.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Our short film about the Great Hunger in Newtownards. There are Bully’s Acres all over Ireland – mass graves, where victims of an Gorta Mór and harsh workhouse regimes lie buried. ‘The Forgotten Famine’ is about one of them, in a quiet corner of County Down… www.heartsofdown.org/work/the-for...

heartsofdown.org

The Forgotten Famine — Hearts of Down

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Hearts of Down is a gathering of friends & neighbours, comrades & fellow travellers, who come together to imagine & make things – films, music, books... We draw inspiration from the radical, democratic & anti-sectarian spirit of our native Co. Down, reaching out to people & communities everywhere.

Who we are

Hearts of Down is a gathering of friends and neighbours, comrades and fellow travellers, who come together to imagine and make things – films, music, books among other artefacts.

We draw inspiration from the radical, democratic and anti-sectarian spirit of our native Co. Down. In doing so, Hearts of Down call out and reach out to people and communities everywhere. From our place and time to yours.

Accompanying image is a drawing of four Movilla early Christian coffin slabs, currently away for restoration and we wait (im)patiently for their return.

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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

If you’re not following the Hearts of Down, give them a follow now.

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Hearts of Down @heartsofdown.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Pulling our website together today. The banner image is from a painting 'Old Tongue' by Tim Millen, exhibited recently at the Ards Arts Centre. A show that "emerged from a stew of myth, folklore, climate reports, and the daily ritual of walking on Scrabo Hill". www.timmillen.com/while-your-b...

Old Tongue, 2024, 23cm x 30cm, oil on canvas

A grey blue sky in the background with pink sky in the foreground. At the bottom of the painting there is red rock, an industrial crane, possibly quarrying activity. The red rock reaches up the right hand side of the painting, almost taking on the form of a creature. A white cloud, or is it a speech bubble, stretches across the top of the painting.

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