Toome Collection

Eel Weir on Lough Neagh at Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of the eel weir with three men standing on a wooden bridge. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Crosskeys Inn, Toome, a Relic of the Coaching Days - a view of a thatched licensed building with four boys outside. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

The Temple of Liberty, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of a derelict folly with people in the foreground. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Cutting the Calacht, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of five people in a field, three with scythes, about to throw the scythes at a corn stack

The Churn Or Harvest Home, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of the photographer and his family all sitting at a table with wine and bread. There are interesting artefacts on the walls of the room

Primitive Method of Rippling Or Bolling Flax, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of two men in a field rippling flax onto a white sheet. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Church Island, Lough Beg, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of a church tower surrounded by much vegetation. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

New Ferry, Toome - a view of two women in a boat at a short crossing point at the river. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Eel Weir, Toome Bridge (1881). Moore, James 1819 - 1883. Date: 1881

Straw Cross and Harvest Bows, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of the straw cross surrounded by four bows. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Eel Weirs at Toome - a view of the wooden eel weirs on the river at Toome. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Bann Weir at Toome - a view of the river weir used to catch eels. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

R. C. Church, Toome
R.C. Church, Toome - an more distant front view of the church, showing the road and surrounding buildings. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

River Bann and Eel Weirs, Toome - a view of the river and eel weirs across it. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Sorting Eels in the Tanks, Toome - a view of a man sorting eels at the waterside with another man onlooking. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Packing Eels for Shipment, Toome
Packing Eels forShipment, Toome - a view of a group of men packing eels into crates, in the background is the bridge at Toome. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome)

Eel Fishers Unloading the Catch. Toome - a view of men unloading crates of eels from a boat at Toome. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Making St. Brigids Crosses of Straw. Toome - a view of a man and boy outside a thatched cottage, the man is making St Brigids crosses of straw. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome)

Kieselguhr Industry, Toome, Grinding Bann Clay - a view of a man shovelling clay into a feed for a grinder. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Kieselguhr Industry, Toome, Bann Clay Stored in Sheds Ready forGrinding - a view of stacks of clay in a shed with two men in the background. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome)

Kieselguhr Industry Toome, Bann Clay Stacked to Dry - a view of large stacks of clay out to dry with a man beside them. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Kieselguhr Industry at Toome, Digging the Bann Clay. Grants Factory - a view of two men digging clay and one using a barrow outside. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome)

Kieselguhr Industry, Toome, Grants Calcining and Grinding Factory - a view of a factory for grinding clay. There is a man standing at a door. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome)

Union Lodge, Toome - a view of a large house with a man at the gate waving to a motor car and passengers. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome). Date: circa early 1900s

Toome Weir on Lough Neagh - a view along the weir with a boy fishing in the foreground and the photographer standing on the weir. (Location: Northern Ireland; County Antrim; Toome)

A Co. Antrim Cottage and Turf Stack, Toome - a view of a thatched cottage and a turf stack beside it. There is a man with a wheelbarrow. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Bringing Home the Calacht, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of the photographer being led by the neck with a sheath of corn, in a field of corn stacks, with three other people

Mowing Corn With Scythes, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view in a field of men scything and ladies collecting the corn. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Reaping the Corn, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view in a field of a horse drawn reaper, reaping the corn with people collecting the cut corn. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Interior of Cornmill Showing Grindstones, Toome, Co. Antrim - an interior view of a cornmill. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Hughie Dobbin and His Corn Mill, Toome - a view of hughie sitting in front of his corn mill behind. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Hughie Dobbin, Corn Miller, His Tally, Toome - a close in view of a tally of corn milled which is made of wood. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

A Corner in a Co. Antrim Farmhouse, Toome - a view of a draped bed and spinning wheel in the corner of a farmhouse. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Ballymatoskry Cottage, Toome - a view of a large cottage and to the left a horse vehicle, with passengers on a country road. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Winding Yarn Off the Swifts, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of a lady outside operating a spinning wheel unwinding yarn off the swifts. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Flax Stacked Ready for Scutching, Toome, Co. Antrim
Flax Stacked Ready forScutching, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of a man and woman beside a flax stack outside. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

The Clove, used for Removing Shoves After Hand Scutching, To
The Clove, used forRemoving Shoves After Hand Scutching, Toome - a view of a man and woman pulling flax threads with a clove. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Primitive Method of Breaking Flax for Hand Scutching, Toome
Primitive Method of Breaking Flax forHand Scutching, Toome - an outside shot showing a man and a woman breaking flax by hand, in the background are buildings

A Co. Antrim Scutch Mill, Toome - an interior shot of the scutch mill. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Flax Breaker in a Co. Antrim Scutch Mill, Toome - an interior shot showing a man operating a flax breaker. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Sowing the Flax, Toome, Co. Antrim - a picture of people hand sowing flax in a field followed by a horse vehicle. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Interior of Scutchmill, Showing Back of Scutching Handles, Toome - an interior shot showing the scutching handles. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Spinning and Winding Yarn, Toome, Co. Antrim - the same two ladies as above spinning and winding yarn outside. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Scutching Flax By Hand on the Scutching Stock, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of a lady scutching flax to the side of a house with another lady in the background spinning

A Lint Hole, Showing Flax in Steep, Toome Co. Antrim - a view of a lint hole in a field with houses in the distance. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge)

Stooking the Flax, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of a man and woman in a field stooking the gathered flaX. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

Steeping the Flax, Toome, Co. Antrim - a view of men unloading the flax from the horse and cart and another man steeping the flax in a river

Spreading Flax, Toome - a view of women in a field overlooked by a man spreading out flax to dry. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Londonderry: Toomebridge). Date: circa early 1900s

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Toome, a hidden gem nestled in Co. Antrim, is a place rich in history and natural beauty. From the Crosskeys Inn, a relic of the coaching days that transports you back in time, to the Eel Weir on Lough Neagh where you can witness the age-old tradition of eel fishing. One cannot miss witnessing the spectacle of "Cutting the Calacht" in Toome. This ancient practice showcases the skill and precision required to harvest flax, an integral part of this region's heritage. As you explore further, you will stumble upon The Temple of Liberty - a symbol of freedom and resilience for generations past. Its grandeur stands as a testament to Toome's unwavering spirit. The Churn Or Harvest Home festival brings joy and celebration to Toome every year. Witnessing locals come together to honor their agricultural roots is truly heartwarming. Intriguingly primitive methods like rippling or bolling flax offer insights into traditional industries that once thrived here. It's fascinating how these techniques have stood the test of time. A visit to New Ferry at Toome allows you to experience tranquility while crossing waters that hold stories untold. And nearby lies Toome Bridge with its iconic Eel Weir – an engineering marvel designed specifically for capturing elusive eels from Lough Neagh's depths. To fully immerse yourself in local customs, don't forget about straw crosses and harvest bows adorning homes during festive seasons – they add charm and character unique to this area. Marvel at multiple eel weirs scattered across Toome; each one tells tales passed down through generations about this cherished trade that has sustained communities for centuries. Bann Weir at Toome serves as both a functional structure regulating water flow and an awe-inspiring sight showcasing man's ingenuity harmonizing with nature seamlessly. Lastly, pay homage at R. C Church – standing tall as a spiritual beacon in Toome.