Lough Neagh crisis takes centre stage at Seamus Heaney HomePlace
As Lough Neagh faces an unprecedented environmental disaster, Seamus Heaney HomePlace brings together artists, writers and journalists to explore the beauty, fragility and future of Northern Ireland’s most important natural landscape
Seamus Heaney HomePlace will host A Lough Neagh Sequence on Sunday, September 20 2026 – an afternoon dedicated to a series of events which represent a creative call to action and vital conversation around environmental catastrophe unfolding at the Lough.
In the summer of 2023, people across the UK and Ireland were stunned as a foul-smelling green algae bloom blanketed the surface of Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake on these islands. The bloom suffocated aquatic life and brought international attention to an environmental crisis that continues to threaten this vital landscape.
The afternoon opens with A Love Song to Lough Neagh, a powerful; 75-minute collaborative performance presented by the 30-member EastSide Arts Choir, featuring acclaimed writer Jan Carson, alongside musicians Ferna and Ursula Burns.
Through song and spoken word, this evocative performance explores themes of hope and community in the face of ecological crisis. The piece develops themes explored in Carson’s new novel, Few and Far Between (2026), and asks what it means for communities to come together when the landscape around them is under threat.
The second part of the afternoon features award-winning journalist Tommy Greene in conversation with journalist Sam McBride discussing Greene’s powerful new book Troubled Waters: How Lough Neagh Is Being Destroyed by Corporate Greed and Political Neglect.
Troubled Waters is a damning investigation into the destruction of the Lough, which provides almost half of Northern Ireland’s drinking water and holds enormous historical, cultural and environmental significance.
Drawing on extensive reporting and unrivalled access to the story, Greene examines the ecological catastrophe that has unfolded at Lough Neagh, alongside the political instability, alleged failures of governance and questions over accountability that have surrounded it.
Award-winning investigative journalist and author Sam Bride has also been recognised for his major exposés on the environmental crisis in Lough Neagh. Together, Greene and McBride will examine how the Lough reached this point, the forces that have shaped its decline and the action required to protect this vital natural resource for present and future generations.
Seamus Heaney was deeply connected to Lough Neagh. A Lough Neagh Sequence brings that cultural connection into contemporary discourse as we showcase a creative response to the issue and consider the future of this once-thriving ecosystem which now teeters on the brink of ecological collapse.
The event takes place on Sunday, September 20 2026 at 2pm in the Helicon theatre at Seamus Heaney HomePlace and runs for approximately 2hrs and 10 minutes.
Tickets are priced at £18, with a £36 Book & Ticket Bundle also available, including a paperback copy of Tommy Greene’s Troubled Waters. For tickets and further information, please visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com or call 028 7938 7444.