Keeping stories alive in Mid and East Antrim
- Feb 28, 2022
- 3 min read
L-R: Vicky McFarland, Karen Edwards, Mayor Cllr William McCaughey, Janice Witherspoon and Colin Urwin. The Four founding members of the Dalriada Legends.
A special evening of storytelling, verse and music was recently held in Carnlough to celebrate the launch of ‘Keeping the Stories Alive’ – an immersive programme of storytelling events and experiences that will be hosted across Mid and East Antrim in the coming weeks. The programme will be delivered by the Dalriada Legends – a new group of professional storytellers and musicians founded by local citizens Karen Edwards, Vicky McFarland, Janice Witherspoon and Colin Urwin.
The group is facilitated and mentored by Place Solutions through DAERA’s pilot Rural Tourism Collaborative Experiences Programme 2021-2022, with the event series funded by Tourism NI’s Covid Market Led Product Development Programme 2021-2022.
The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, commended the work of Dalriada Legends in preserving what he described as “an important ancient tradition”.
“Mid and East Antrim boasts centuries-old tales and folklore that make our Borough truly unique in Northern Ireland and a compelling destination for domestic and international tourists. The work of Dalriada Legends preserving this ancient tradition through their upcoming ‘Keeping the Stories Alive’ programme is highly commendable, and I wish them every success.
“I have every confidence that their series of events and experiences will prove to be a wonderful showcase of our enchanting history and mythology, to be enjoyed by young and old at range of special venues in our Borough.
“On behalf of Council, I extend my warm thanks to Tourism NI and DAERA for their support in enabling this rare celebration of culture and heritage to happen in Mid and East Antrim.”
At the ‘Presenting Dalriada Legends’ launch event – hosted in Carnlough’s historic Londonderry Arms Hotel on Sunday 27 February – a packed room full of guests were regaled with folktales, myths, legends and historical heritage stories, as a teaser for the group’s plans to “keep the stories alive”, in collaboration with local businesses and tourism providers.
Founding member Vicky McFarland explained:
“This place we call home has a rich tapestry of myth, magic, history and heritage woven into the landscape. The ancient Kingdom of Dalriada is at the heart of many of the old stories, with the name evoking the essence of history, place and people that fill our tales.
“Through beautifully crafted stories, recitations, music and songs, our programme of immersive events will take our guests on a journey across the ancient landscape of the Glens of Antrim and Causeway Coastal Route – a world of shipwrecks, battles and strange happenings, inhabited by infamous characters, fabled creatures, ghosts and fairies.”
Karen Edwards, also a founding member of Dalriada Legends, continued:
“From grandmothers spinning yarns at the kitchen tables, to the great Irish mythological cycles, stories make up the fabric of this place and its people.
“Traditionally, these stories were passed one storyteller to another in the oral tradition, with each storyteller taking the tale and making it their own to share time and again to all who came to hear. Our group is focused on keeping this storytelling tradition alive by collecting and reworking the old stories to bring to new audiences, near and far.”
Regions Manager at Tourism NI, Ainsley McWilliams said:
“We are pleased to support this fantastic new addition to the Council’s innovative and exciting portfolio of events through our Market Led Product Development Programme. Events like this continue to play a crucial role in rebuilding our local economy and help boost the profile of tourism in Northern Ireland. I am confident that the immersive programme of storytelling events and experiences will create new and compelling reasons to visit the Mid and East Antrim area in the coming weeks.” A spokesperson from DAERA said:
“We are delighted that Dalriada Legends has received assistance from Council through our Rural Tourism Collaborative Experiences Programme. This type of experience showcases the local talent we have here in Northern Ireland at both a local and international level, in providing unique offerings to attract visitors to these areas. We congratulate you and wish you every success going forward.”
Six events in total will be delivered by Dalriada Legends between 27 February and 02 April 2022. For more information, visit:
