Cairncastle Ulster-Scots Country & Folk Cross Community Festival

By Helen McGurk
Published 18th Jul 2023, 13:05 BST
(from L to R) Hugh Brownlow from Maghera, student with Bright Light School of Highland Dancing from East Belfast, and Cecil Knox, guitar player and singer with Grouse Beaters Band(from L to R) Hugh Brownlow from Maghera, student with Bright Light School of Highland Dancing from East Belfast, and Cecil Knox, guitar player and singer with Grouse Beaters Band
(from L to R) Hugh Brownlow from Maghera, student with Bright Light School of Highland Dancing from East Belfast, and Cecil Knox, guitar player and singer with Grouse Beaters Band
There is no better way of rounding off a day visiting the famous Nine Glens of Antrim, than to take in Cairncastle Ulster-Scots Country & Folk Cross Community Festival held in the Halfway House Hotel, Ballygally, and featuring international bands playing a mixture of Irish, Scottish, country, bluegrass, Iranian and Ulster-Scots music.

This year the festival, which runs from July 27 to August 2, comprises cultural and musical evenings, history & languages workshops, an afternoon of gospel singing and a musical bus tour.

The cultural and musical evenings begin on July 27 and will feature local band The Grouse Beaters playing a mixture of Irish, country and Ulster-Scots songs, Tarton Riot playing a unique and exciting blend of traditional Ulster-Scots and rock music, Bright Lights School of Highland Dancers from East Belfast, and Behnam Pour (Santoor) playing an Iranian musical instrument.

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The evenings continue on Friday, July 28 with the cream of bluegrass musicians, including the Belfast soloist Cormac Crummey playing the Banjo, The Knotty Pine String Band from Omagh, playing bluegrass and American roots music and Bluestack Mountain Boys - a Dublin Bluegrass Collective, playing traditional bluegrass songs and instrumentals.

Musical evenings will finish on Saturday, July 29 with a soirée of Scottish, country, Irish and showband music featuring Dona Dasgupta providing Indian dance display, country singer Michael McSparron, Stone Wall Band from Portadown playing Ulster-Scots songs and The Second Chance Group from the showband scene will bring music evenings to a close.

Evenings commence at 7:15pm, admission £10.00 each payable at door.

On July 27, the Ulster-Scots & Irish Languages at 1.30pm, will discuss similarities and place names in both languages, Ulster-Scots and Irish History at 3.00pm, will cover the pre and post plantation period. On July 28, History of Bluegrass Music @ 2.00pm will discuss how the music evolved from a primitive stage to its current melody and instruments. Adm. Free

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Afternoon of Gospel Singing will be conducted by Hugh Brownlow, on Sunday, July 30 at 3pm in Cairncastle Presbyterian Church Hall, featuring Gospel singer Billy McFarland, showband musicians Billy McCombe, John Burns and Cecil Brown from Second Chance Group.

The festival finishes with a Musical Bus Tour on Wednesday, August 2 touring the north Co. Down coast.

For more information phone 07889659165

Related topics:Ulster