In 2021–22 the Foundation was engaged by Lough Neagh Partnership to publish a substantial volume looking at many different aspects of this vast body of water: Lough Neagh: An Atlas of the Natural, Built and Cultural Heritage. The Foundation’s Research Director, Dr William Roulston, formed an editorial team with Dr Liam Campbell and Dr Willie Burke, respectively the Built and Cultural Heritage Officer and the Programmes Manager at Lough Neagh Partnership.
It is impossible for any observer to look at a map of Ireland and fail to notice the expanse of blue in the centre of Northern Ireland denoting what many have described as a freshwater inland sea. It is the scale and geography that makes Lough Neagh such a unique heritage feature. For millennia people have lived by the lough and earned a livelihood along its shoreline and on its waters.
The production of the book brought together archaeologists, geographers, historians, scientists and other experts in their field, many with a strong connection to Lough Neagh. In all, there are 50 essays, covering subjects ranging from geology and boat-building to fishing and folklore. Wendy Dunbar of Dunbar Design produced a stunningly beautiful volume, replete with dozens of striking illustrations. A major feature of the book is inclusion of a large number of maps, both historical and contemporary.