By 
A CROWD of more than 30 people huddled around the warm, fiery glow of the Rylagh Limekiln in Gortnagarn on Monday night to mark the tenth anniversary of the structure’s restoration.
The event was organised by Friends of the Glens, the volunteer-led group which refurbished the construction in 2015 after it had fallen into grave disrepair.
Addressing the audience, made up of both volunteers and locals from Gortnagarn, Sean Harpur of Friends of the Glens thanked all those who gave their time to preserving the kiln.
“We were pleased to welcome members of the local community while bringing our volunteers together around the restored limekiln,” Mr Harpur said. “It was our way of saying ‘thanks’.
“We also took time to remember past volunteers of Friends of the Glens who are sadly no longer with us.”
Originally constructed in 1801 by farmers wishing to process lime to help fertilise the acidic uplands of the Sperrin Mountains, it wasn’t until 2015 that the Friends of the Glens volunteers took on the task of restoring the kiln which had become dilapidated over time.
“We restored it in 2015 all thanks to the labour of our volunteers,” Mr Harpur added. “It’s a great structure which has been there long before any of us – and will remain in place long after us all.”
Having met annually at the kiln since it was restored, Mr Harpur said that Monday’s event marked the end of their yearly gatherings.
