Chief pledges support for Heart of Glens Festival

McAuley Multimedia 21St August 2015...As thousands of people converge on Ballycastle for the Oul Lammas fair weekend the town has come alive to the lights of the Giant Wheel and amusements at the Harbour.'The Oul Lammas Fair' has taken place annually in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, since the seventeenth century. Celebrated on the last Monday and Tuesday in August, the fair marks the end of summer and beginning of harvest. The origins of the fair are embroiled in the myths and legends of Ireland, although the tradition such festivals can be found in many cultures throughout the world.The Lammas Fair traditionally attracts thousands of people from around the world, and features more than 400 stalls of craft, bric-a-brac and farm produce. Local specialities include 'Yellow Man', a sweet honeycomb candy, and a red seaweed known as 'dulse'. Street entertainment, including face-painting and pony rides, lends a carnival atmosphere, while traditional music sessions in the pubs cater to a different clientele. PICTURE KEVIN

The Chief Executive, David Jackson, made the commitment during a recent council meeting.

Following a presentation on the council’s public relations, Sinn Fein Councillor Cara McShane raised concerns about events such as the Heart of the Glens Festival, which were not highlighted in the report.

She said: “There is some concern for me, looking at the ‘proactive promotions on service delivery/key events’ up to October, because right in the heart of that is the Lammas Fair, the oldest fair in Ireland.

“Bearing in mind that the Lammas Fair doesn’t fall on a bank holiday this year, it is even more important that it is promoted. Also, the Heart of the Glens Festival, which would have taken place during the first week of August. So I just want to know why that is not highlighted in the table.”CEO David Jackson, replying to Councillor McShane’s query, said: “It is a fair observation. You will also notice the airshow is not listed there and that is because some of those events, some of the bigger events, council officers are looking after that. There should be coordination with that and we should be looking at achieving the same coverage as in previous years.

“Just to advise some further insight into that, some of the events such as the airshow, you can over-advertise them and you can end up with more people than you can actually accommodate. We are not always going absolutely full on when an event has the potential to already reach its capacity.

“I personally talk about the Heart of the Glens and I always do. I think it is an absolutely fantastic event but, again, can we work with the organising committee, from council’s point of view? I think that is a very valid point. That is an area that our PR manager will be very keen to get involved with and improve on for the coming year.”