Glenarm Arts & Literary Fayre returns with packed weekend of books, history, film, storytelling and jazz
- Love Ballymena
- 45 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Glenarm Village Committee members (L-R) Robert Taggart, Linda Hylands, Hilary Cross, John Duggan, Frances Wilson, and Emer Furey.
A celebration of books, art, local history, storytelling, film, poetry and live music will take over Glenarm next weekend as the village’s Arts & Literary Fayre returns following a successful inaugural event last year.
Organised by Glenarm Village Committee, the Glenarm Arts & Literary Fayre (GALF) will run across Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August, bringing performers, authors, historians, photographers and musicians to venues throughout the village.
The main Fayre will be held at Eglinton Barn from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, where admission is free and visitors can browse work from artists and booksellers.
Families are also being catered for, with children’s authors and an activity table among the attractions. Organisers hope, subject to numbers, to give every child attending a free book to take home.
Alongside the main Fayre, a programme of special events will run across the weekend. There are 12 events in total, with ten free to attend and two ticketed performances costing £10.
Places are limited for the individual events and booking through Eventbrite is recommended — and essential for some activities.
Storytelling opens the weekend
Storyteller, folk singer and author Colin Urwin
The weekend begins on Friday evening with storyteller, folk singer and author Colin Urwin, who will perform at Glenarm Heritage from 8pm to 10pm, with doors opening at 7.30pm.
Described as a modern-day Seanchaí, Colin is Seanchaí to Randal, 15th Earl of Antrim, Chief of the Antrim McDonnells at Glenarm Castle, and resident storyteller at The Courthouse in Bushmills.
A folk singer, songwriter and author of several folktale collections, he performs at storytelling and literary festivals internationally and has written and performed a number of stage shows.
Tickets cost £10.
History, storytelling and photography
Dr David Hume MBE
Saturday’s programme begins at 10am when historian, journalist, author and broadcaster Dr David Hume MBE presents Antrim Across the Atlantic: Stories to celebrate America 250 at Seaview Primary School.
The talk will explore connections between Glenarm, County Antrim and communities across the Atlantic.
David is known for his work on Ulster-Scots history and heritage and co-presented the BBC series The Long and the Short of It with comedian Tim McGarry.
The event is free.
Also departing at approximately 10am from Eglinton Barn is a forest walk and storytelling experience led by Celtic and environmental storyteller Janice Witherspoon.
Celtic and environmental storyteller Janice Witherspoon
The approximately two-mile walk will combine Glenarm’s natural surroundings with Irish and Scottish myths, legends, folktales and nature stories. Participants should wear suitable footwear and clothing for forest paths.
The event runs until approximately 11.30am and is free.
Glenarm’s young filmmakers take the screen
At Forest Glen Retirement Housing Complex, EA Glenarm Youth Group will present Revenge of Grannie Annie, a scary short film produced by young people from the village.
Doors open at 10.30am, with free tea, coffee and biscuits served from 11am before the film is shown at 11.30am.
Admission is free.
Photographs that chronicled the Troubles
Award-winning photographer, Glenarm man, Paul Faith
Award-winning photographer Paul Faith will bring a very different perspective on Northern Ireland’s recent history to Seaview Primary School from 11am to noon.
Associated with the Press Association, Paul photographed many significant moments during and after the Troubles and featured prominently in the BBC documentary Shooting the Darkness.
His presentation will include some of the images through which he documented that period. Paul was also the sole photographer to capture the historic 2012 handshake between Queen Elizabeth II and Martin McGuinness.
The event is free.
McDonnells and the history of Glenarm
The Hon. Hector McDonnell
At the same time, the Hon. Hector McDonnell will explore the history of Glenarm and the McDonnell family during a talk at Glenarm Village Hall from 11am to noon.
Hector, an artist and author and uncle of the current Earl of Antrim, will draw on his knowledge of the McDonnells and their place within the history of the village.
Admission is free.
The historical theme continues at the Village Hall from noon to 1pm, when local author and historian Iain Bradley, Vice-Chair of the Glens of Antrim Historical Society, turns the spotlight on Shane O’Neill.
Local author and historian Iain Bradley
Known historically as “Shane the Proud”, O’Neill was one of the most powerful Gaelic chieftains of 16th-century Ulster and a formidable opponent of English Tudor expansion before his death in 1567.
The talk is free.
Irish-language film made in Glenarm returns to the village
Glenarm itself will become part of the story at Seaview Primary School from noon to 2pm, with a special showing of the Irish-language film Aontas.
Filmed almost entirely in Glenarm, the production features a number of recognisable locations around the village.
Director Damian McCann and original scriptwriter Sarah Gordon will attend, introducing the film and taking part in a question-and-answer session afterwards.
It offers local audiences an opportunity not only to watch the film but to hear directly about how a production featuring familiar Glenarm locations was brought to the screen.
Admission is free.
Award-winning spoken word performance
Award-winning bilingual Irish spoken-word poet and writer Cormac Mac Gerailt
From 1pm to 2pm at Glenarm Village Hall, multi-award-winning bilingual Irish spoken-word poet and writer Cormac Mac Gerailt will give a live recital and performance.
The Dublin poet is an Ireland Slam champion and won Slam-O-Vision 2024 at Manchester Poetry Library with his poem Caoineadh na gCrann, marking Ireland’s first victory in the competition.
His work explores subjects including time, urban isolation, addiction, ecological collapse, native language, love, family and nature.
Admission is free.
Explore Glenarm’s limestone heritage
Glenarm’s old limestone quarry
Visitors can discover another important chapter in Glenarm’s industrial story from 2pm, when local qualified walk leader Ann Dunlop leads a tour exploring the village’s limestone heritage.
Meeting at the Big Shed, the walk will provide an overview of the history of Glenarm’s limestone industry and is expected to last around an hour to an hour and a half.
The route is on level ground, but participants are advised to dress appropriately for the weather. Dogs are not permitted and places are limited to 15 people.
The event is free.
Can you solve the Casino Killings?
Those who prefer their history fictional — and considerably more murderous — can head to Glenarm Village Hall between 2pm and 4pm for Casino Killings, an interactive murder mystery featuring local actors.
Participants will have to follow the clues and identify the killer in a live “whodunnit” organised with support from Carnlough Library.
Admission is free.
Jazz brings the weekend to a close
The weekend concludes with one of its headline performances as Linley Hamilton Quartet, accompanied by readings from Maggie Doyle, takes to the stage from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Saturday.
Trumpeter and flugelhorn player Linley Hamilton MBE is one of Northern Ireland’s best-known jazz musicians, as well as an educator and broadcaster, and has worked with musicians including Van Morrison and Paul Brady.
He will be joined by his wife Maggie Doyle, an award-winning former BBC Radio Ulster producer and Editor of Music Programmes.
Maggie, who was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing in 2023 and the Bridport Prize for poetry in 2024, will read extracts from her new book, Magy’s Farm – Where Music Grows.
Together, the couple created Magy’s Farm, an independent rural jazz venue which brings live jazz performances to audiences outside Northern Ireland’s cities.
Tickets for the closing performance cost £10.
With most of the programme free, GALF’s second year gives visitors the chance to build their own day around literature, local heritage, photography, film, poetry, walking and live performance — while the Eglinton Barn remains the centre of the Saturday Fayre from 10am to 4pm with free admission.
Places at the individual events are limited, however, so anyone hoping to attend a particular talk, walk, screening or performance is encouraged to book in advance through Eventbrite.
