By Laura Nugent, Irish Language Officer, Wikimedia Community Ireland
As the Irish Language Officer for Wikimedia Community Ireland, I’m delighted that “Is Breá le Vicí Béaloideas” (Wiki Loves Folklore) 2026 is now open! To celebrate the theme of “The Arts” and our rich oral traditions, I finally made my long-awaited trip to the Sperrin Sculpture Trail in County Tyrone.
After two weather-related postponements, the day finally arrived. This was the perfect chance to combine my love of the outdoors with documenting cultural heritage – one day, three sculptures!
First Stop: Nowanois – The Storytellers
These massive figures, Nowanois, pay tribute to the Seanchaí – the storyteller who recalls times and generations gone by.
The information panel beside the sculpture explains their powerful symbolism:
“The two giants, aptly named Nowanois, draw their identity from the English word ‘now’ and the Irish ‘anois,’ both signifying the present moment. These sculptures symbolize the unifying essence of time, bridging past and future, where memories and stories converge. One giant represents the past, while the other embodies the future, together encapsulating the eternal ‘now.'”
This resonates deeply with Wikimedia’s mission. Just as the elder Nowanois points skyward, sharing tales of ancestors who marveled at the heavens, we work to ensure folklore and heritage pass from generation to generation – now through digital commons rather than word of mouth alone.
An Unexpected Discovery: Goles Stone Row
En route between sculptures, I followed the brown tourist signs that led me to Goles Stone Row – a Bronze Age alignment of 11 stones standing in the Glenelly Valley . These ancient markers predate our modern “giants” by millennia, yet the connection is clear: archaeologists believe these stones held astronomical significance, aligning with celestial events.
Standing there, I understood why the Nowanois sculptor chose to have the elder giant pointing to the stars. These stones were the original storytellers of the Sperrins, marking the landscape with meaning long before oral traditions began. They may be 5,000 years old, but they still speak to us – silent witnesses to the people who once watched the same skies.
A Serendipitous Stop: The Plumbridge Art Bench
Plumbridge Art Bench, Plumbridge, Co.Tyrone
Before continuing to the mountain heights, I needed coffee and fuel. The village of Plumbridge provided both – and an unexpected treasure in the car park.
There, I discovered an intricately decorated art bench that stopped me in my tracks. Created as part of a community arts project, this bench transforms a mundane rest stop into a celebration of local identity and creativity. The vibrant designs and craftsmanship speak to the same spirit that inspired the giant sculptures – a community determined to mark their landscape with meaning and beauty.
What struck me most was how easy it would have been to miss. Without that coffee stop, I would have driven straight past. It’s a reminder that heritage isn’t just found at designated tourist sites – it lives in car parks, village squares, and roadside stops.
This is exactly why Wiki Loves Folklore matters. By photographing and documenting these smaller treasures on Wikimedia Commons, we ensure they’re not overlooked – that someone researching public art, community projects, or even just planning a Sperrins visit might stumble upon them digitally, just as I did physically.
A Journey Through Time: Leaba Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne
Standing before this ancient stone structure, I read the interpretation panel and felt a thrill of recognition: this is one of the legendary leaba Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne – the beds of Diarmuid and Gráinne. I was standing at a site woven into one of my favourite tales from Irish mythology, The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne.
Standing at Glenroan, I felt the weight of that narrative. This wasn’t just a Bronze Age burial site; it was a threshold between history and mythology, archaeology and folklore. The stones may be 5,000 years old, but the story breathed life into them, connecting me to generations of Irish people who stood here and imagined two lovers seeking refuge from pursuit.
This is the power of béaloideas– folklore doesn’t just preserve stories, it inscribes them onto the landscape itself. Every portal tomb becomes a chapter in an epic. Every mountain, every standing stone carries whispers of the past.Sites like Glenroan perfectly embody what we’re trying to document through Wiki Loves Folklore. They exist at the intersection of archaeology (“The Arts”) and oral tradition. By photographing these places and recording their folklore associations on Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia, we preserve not just the physical structures but the stories that give them meaning.
How many portal tombs across Ireland carry similar tales? How many have been forgotten because the local storyteller is gone and the knowledge wasn’t recorded? This is our work—to be the digital seanchaí ensuring these connections survive.
Aghascrebagh Ogham Stone
Still following the brown signs, I came upon the Aghascrebagh Ogham Stone. I was absolutely awestruck.
Ogham is the earliest form of Irish writing, dating from the 4th to 7th centuries AD. These stones mark a pivotal moment in Irish history—the transition from oral tradition to written record. The script consists of lines carved along the edge of standing stones, each grouping representing a letter of the Irish alphabet.
Standing before the Aughnascribh stone, I was looking at one of Ireland’s first “documents”- carved by hands 1,500 years ago, carrying a message across the centuries. While we may not always know exactly what these inscriptions say (many are personal names or dedications), the very act of carving them was revolutionary. Someone decided their words needed to outlast memory and speech.And now, over a millennium later, we’re doing the same work in a different medium. Instead of carving Ogham into stone, we’re uploading photographs to Wikimedia Commons, writing Wikipedia articles in Irish, documenting place names and folklore. We’re ensuring that Gaeilge and Irish heritage have a permanent, accessible presence in the digital age.
From Ogham stones to digital commons – the mission remains the same: preserve, document, share.
Ceoldán: The Stargazer – And an Unexpected Detour
155 Davagh Rd, Omagh, Co. Tyrone BT79 8JQ
My next planned destination was the Ceoldán sculpture. Named for his role as the stargazer, Ceoldán looks to the future and the unknown—a fitting guardian for this remarkable location.
I was thrilled to discover that Ceoldán stands within the OM Dark Sky Park, another item I’d been eager to tick off my Irish bucket list!
OM Dark Sky Park
What started as a quick sculpture visit turned into an impromptu tour of the observatory. I lost track of time completely, marvelling at the cosmos and our place within it. Standing there in one of Ireland’s darkest sky reserves, where the Milky Way stretches overhead in all its glory, I understood why the ancient people of the Sperrins built stone rows aligned to the heavens.
The connection was profound: from the Bronze Age astronomers at Goles Stone Row, to the folklore of Diarmuid and Gráinne sleeping beneath the stars, to the elder Nowanois pointing skyward, to Ceoldán gazing at the infinite future—the people of this landscape have always looked up in wonder.
The Best-Laid Plans…
As darkness fell, I realized I’d run out of time. The Darach sculpture, nestled on Mullaghcarn Mountain and requiring a hike to reach, would have to wait. I also learned about a stone circle near Davagh Forest that I hadn’t known existed- Beaghmore Stone Circles .
So this isn’t the end – it’s “to be continued!” My friend who accompanied me on this trip and I have already resolved to return in a few weeks to complete the trail and see Darach properly, as well as visit that stone circle. Sometimes the best journeys can’t be rushed, and the Sperrins clearly have more stories to share with us.
Your Turn: Get Involved!
My Sperrin adventure perfectly captures what Wiki Loves Folklore is about—getting out into your community, discovering heritage (both planned and unexpected), and documenting it for everyone to access and enjoy.
Here’s how you can participate:
- Upload your photos to Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 sculptures, archaeological sites, art benches, whatever you discover!
- Share the stories! Does your local portal tomb have a legend? Does your village have hidden art? Document it!
- Use Irish in your descriptions to help grow Gaeilge on Wikimedia projects
- Follow the brown signs…You never know what you’ll find
The Sperrins taught me that heritage documentation isn’t about ticking off a checklist. It’s about curiosity, serendipity and taking the time to truly see the landscape around us. Every photograph we upload, every Wikipedia article we improve, helps ensure these stories – ancient and modern – remain accessible for generations to come.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Sperrin journey, where I’ll finally meet Darach and explore the Beaghmore Stones!
Slán go fóill, Laura
