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Welcome to our site

Our small but beautiful festival has been running successfully for several years now in the picturesque village of Portpatrick, South West Scotland. Every September, hundreds of visitors come to share a few days of lively folk performances and sessions in waterfront pubs and around the harbour.

 

The location is the Best in the West, a beautiful harbour setting with a view of the Mountains of Mourne across the water in Ireland from where a good few session musicians are traditionally attracted.

Good Music, Good Songs, Great Time!


Local Hotels and businesses are again giving their full support with free pub gigs and sessions from musicians both local and international. Highlights include gigs from bands ‘Life O’ Reilly’, 'Belfast Folk, 'Failte', 'Mooncoyn' and others.

 

 

This year's Friday Family Ceilidh in the Village Hall, kindly sponsored by 'Scottish Wind Energy'; 'Life O'Reilly' will keep people of all ages dancing 'till they drop. A bar will be available during the Ceilidh.


Very sorry for the late appearance of web updates this year, but we now have the technology and the secret passwords and the secret handshakes and the wibbley wobbley bits from our earstwhile Webmaster, bless his lycra socks, and are updating the website from home! (albeit slowly).

For those of you who have found the "folk 'phone" disabled during the past few months, we have now found the SIM card at the bottom of a seldom used drawer, and have re-established contact on 07724 618855 - call us for details. The 'phone is not staffed full time, so please leave contact details so we can get back to you,

FAQ:

All are asking... is it on? When? Who is playing? What's new?

A1: Yes!

A2: 4th, 5th 6th September 2009, always the first weekend in September.

A3: Grada, Life O' Riley, Belfast Folklore, Robyn Stapleton, Venue I, Failte, and many others too shy, wick or retiring to appear in a listing.

A4: Burns related events including recitals, songs and tunes; if you have not had your heid fuil of the Hamecomin' already.

Read on... and watch this space as the Festival develops.

Big booking for this year are Grada, a very talented Quintet from Ireland. Many more acts booked but nearly my bedtime, so more tomorrow, and remember to keep logging in for the latest information.

Marc

 

 

As always, we welcome visiting musicians and ask them to join in the usual lively sessions. Many of our local hotels rely for their trade on serving family meals; therefore Sessions are likely to start late in dining areas, please be patient!

Surprisingly, many of our Hotels also rely on selling beers, wines, spirits etc. to people using their bars – please respect this purely local custom and occasionally purchase a beverage during your session.

 

 

The Village Hall will act as a meeting place all weekend if the weather is less than perfect, and we are hoping to have an Open Stage on both the Saturday and Sunday afternoons.


Kindly supported by: Belhaven Brewery, Scottish Wind Energy, Portpatrick Community Council, The Portpatrick Trust, The Crown Hotel, The Downshire Arms Hotel, The Harbour House Hotel, The Waterfront Hotel, The Mount Stewart Hotel, Gaelforce, and partly funded by the Dumfries and Galloway Events and Tourism Challenge Fund.