Institute Adventures – Across the province, and beyond!

Posted December 1, 2022 by WI Staff in Local Areas

The Annual Outing is a WI tradition. Here’s what some of our groups have been getting up to so far this season…

Ballievey WI

Cheers to the Jersey Jet-Setters!

On 15th October, 10 members from Ballievey set off on a 4-day break to Jersey. They stayed in the Pomme d’Or Hotel in the centre of St Helier – and certainly packed in lots of adventures, exploring the island over the 4 days! They visited the War Tunnels, Elizabeth Castle, La Mare Vineyards and La Corbière Lighthouse. Everyone appreciated the late season break and the opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s company.

(Many thanks to Anne Martin for organising the trip!)

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Ballydownfine WI

Members of Ballydownfine WI enjoyed a super September trip to Meigh, a small village near Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, where they stopped for lunch before embarking of a guided tour of the

surrounding area.

This outing was made possible thanks to sponsorship from Belfast City Council.

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Drumbeg WI

In August, the Drumbeg ladies headed off on their annual outing – this time to the Armagh Planetarium! The staff at the Planetarium were great hosts and welcomed the group with tea/coffee and delicious scones, before giving a short talk about the planets and the solar system. It was then time to explore – after a short break to view the beautiful gardens on the site, the ladies finished off with the ‘Immersive Experience’ under the dome of the Planetarium! This ended with a digital Big Dipper ride – which was not for the faint hearted! A beautiful lunch followed, at the Armagh City Hotel.

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Eglinton WI

A Titanic Trip!

The Eglinton ladies enjoyed a day out in Belfast during WI Headquarters ‘Open Week’ in August. After a pit stop at HQ for a lovely afternoon tea provided by the Home and Garden Sub-Committee, they ventured on to the Titanic Quarter in the city centre, visiting the Titanic Exhibition Centre, where they posed for this photo on the famous staircase!

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Glenanne WI

Here are five of our Glenanne girls – rounding up ‘sheep’ on their outing in Lockerbie, Scotland!

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Killutagh WI

The Killutagh ladies enjoyed a weekend trip away to Carlow this summer. Here are the gang at the mysterious and majestic Brownshill Dolmen!

(Fun fact: Located 3km east of Carlow town, the capstone of this impressive megalithic tomb is believed to be the largest in Europe, weighing some 103 tonnes. It has excited the interest of historians and antiquarians for centuries.)

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Muckamore WI

Over the Moon at Killymoon Castle!

Muckamore members took a trip to the beautiful Killymoon Castle, which sits in picturesque surroundings overlooking the Ballinderry River on the outskirts of Cookstown. They stepped back in time with a guided tour, climbing the magnificent staircase to explore the hallway, coves and rooms. The ladies learnt about the rich history of the building, currently the home of the Coulter family. The tour guides Clarke and owner Dorothy were very knowledgeable and interesting, giving the ladies many laughs along the way. (One of the Muckamore WI ladies Dorothy Coulter was delighted to meet her namesake – Dorothy Coulter, owner of Killymoon!) A beautiful savoury supper was served in the mirrored ballroom overlooking the gardens, followed by homemade sandwiches, cream scones, cakes, pastries and dessert!

Dining in style – J. Gray, M. Taylor, M. Thompson, H. Kerr, E. McCourt and D. Coulter.

President Elizabeth Gray, with members Dorothy, Marjorie, Sharon and Elizabeth.

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Slievenaman WI

Shout out to our Slievenaman ladies, who are pictured here on a great day out at The Secret Garden in Dundonald.

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Spa WI

Summer Programme Concludes!

As summer came to a close, Spa WI members enjoyed a very memorable social evening courtesy of President Fiona Patterson and her husband David. (Both had obviously worked very hard to make the evening a great success and members are extremely grateful to them.)

Some of the ladies took the opportunity to visit a nearby Cold War Bunker courtesy of transport provided by David for those who didn’t fancy the walk. The bunker has many remnants in place and can only be accessed by a vertical ladder (as shown the photograph) but a good number of Spa ladies made both the descent and return climb successfully! A delicious al fresco supper was enjoyed by all – again many thanks to Fiona and David.

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Tandragee WI

In August, the Tandragee ladies set off on their annual outing. This time around the destination was Warrenpoint – and beyond, with several stops along the way. The first port of call was coffee in the Whistledown, before heading to the Sweet Pea Garden Centre (where lots of purchases were made). Next stop – the seaside – Newcastle, for ice cream! The day finished with a beautiful tea in the Anglers Rest.