Community Festival

This weekend sees Garryduff Flute Band hold their first ever Ulster-Scots Community Festival which will feature 3 days of talks, dance and musical performances. The varied program, which covers many aspects of Ulster Scots culture, will appeal to a wide audience and admission is free to each of the events.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Jun 2010, 15:15 BST

The festival kicks off on Thursday 24th June with an Ulster-Scots Language evening in the Independent Orange Hall, Edward St, Ballymoney at 8pm. Members of the local Ullans Speakers Association will be in attendance to give an insight into the language with plenty of crack and banter guaranteed. Some members of the Ballymoney Fife and Drumming Club will also provide a short history of the lambeg and give a give a demonstration of this unique instrument. Any budding drummers out there may also get the chance to have a go. The other performers on the evening will be local accordion group Blazing Bellows.

Friday 25th June in the Independent Orange Hall, Edward St, Ballymoney at 8pm will host a talk by local historian and writer Alex Blair whose subject will be Liberals, Orangemen and Unionists. This will cover a history of Orangeism in the Ballymoney area from 1880 to 1914 and include such events as the formation of the Independent Orange Order, the Home Rule for Ireland issue and the lead up to the First World War. Also taking part will be William Campbell on the bagpipes and Matthew Sloan on the fiddle, which should provide an evening for history and music lovers alike.

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The final day on Saturday 26th June will be a Festival of Ulster Scots Music, Dance and Song at Castlecroft, Main St, Ballymoney starting at 2pm. Ulster Scots folk group The Grousebeaters from Cairncastle just outside Larne will entertain with their lively music and banter. The group are well known for their performances throughout Northern Ireland and the West Coast of Scotland. The Blue Belles and Evergreen Scottish Country Dancing Teams from Kilrea and Ballymoney will also provide a demonstration of their graceful style of dance. It is also planned that there will be a rendition of lambeg drums.

The band is looking forward to a good attendance at these events and extends a welcome to everyone to attend. They would also like to acknowledge the financial support given by the Ulster Scots Agency Community Festival Fund and the Ballymoney Borough Council Community Festival Fund, without which these events could not have taken place.

Related topics:Ulster ScotsUlster