Markethill Lambeg Drumming

The last Friday of July marks the annual Lambeg drumming competition in the Co Armagh town of Markethill. Recently a friend of mine said that this competition is an experience that everyone should experience once in their life. With the shear noise levels I now understand why he said just once.

Through traffic in the town is stopped for the evening and crowds gather to view the spectacle. You will not see any other venue where there are so many Lambeg drums gathered together in one place, and all playing at the same time. Arriving at 6pm, I left by 8.30pm, my ears not being able to take any more!

The following images, I hope, will give an impression of how seriously the competitors take this event. For those interested in the technical details, I was using a D3 with on camera flash and a 24-70mm f2.8 lens.

The whole evening is very much taken up with old friends  catching up on news, tightening drum skins and entering into the playing area.  Judges listen carefully for the right tone and beat, although the casual onlooker would be unable to distinguish the difference.  However the local fish and chip shop did a roaring trade!

Kilclief Castle Co Down

There are examples of our history and heritage scattered across Ulster, on Friday I visited Kilclief and found this gem within a short car drive of where I live, of course I forgot my camera and so revisited the following day.  

Kilclief Castle is really a tower-house built by John Sely, bishop of Down, between 1413 and 1441.  It is one of the earliest tower-house in County Down, and is similar in design to many other tower-houses in the county.

Its features include the high machicolation arch between projecting towers, a local feature displayed here, at Audley’s Castle and at Margaret’s and Jordan’s Castles in Ardglass. The machicolation protects the entrance leading to a spiral stair in the south-east tower.  In the north-east tower is a latrine shaft with access from three of the four floors. 

As at Jordan’s Castle, the ground floor chamber has a semicircular barrel vault built on wicker centring. On the second floor a 13th century coffin-lid from the nearby church was reused as a lintel for the fireplace and on the third floor crosses can be seen cut into a window.

Just up the road a short distance is Kilclief Parish Church built in 1825 on the site of a much earlier church dating back to the time of Kilclief Castle.

Project Orange

Recently I have become involved along with other contributing photographers in a photographic project designed to track, through the use of images, a year in the life of the Orange Order.

What does the Orange Order get up to throughout the year, apart from parading? Well hopefully when this project is completed we will have a visual record and will inform more widely what the Orange Order does from day to day.

This project will serve several useful purposes by establishing a photographic archive where previously none existed which will have an ongoing value. It will preserve a record for the future and it could provide material for exhibitions and possibly a publication.  Watch this space for developments throughout the year!

Comber Twelfth

My purpose in this blog is to show scenes not commonly reported about the Twelfth celebrations.

There are many of the usual parading images, including images from the flash points areas, which are relatively small in number, to be found in the TV and newspaper media.  These are not representative of the Twelfth celebrations to be found elsewhere in Province, yet they grab worldwide attention.

Images in this blog were taken in the demonstration field in Comber and focus on ordinary people simply enjoying themselves.  This blog therefore shows what happens in the Twelfth demonstration field - people just enjoying a good day out.

Biggest Eleventh Night Bonfire!

Newtownards has boasted the largest bonfire in Ulster, built entirely with wooden pallets and standing just over 180 feet tall. The bonfire was located in the site of a cleared textile mill which provided a safe environment.

The fire was ignited from the top of the structure and not form the base, the fire therefore burned from the top and worked its way down.  People can be seen climbing the structure to set it alight.

Despite its size this was a safe event, the structure burnt down more or less within the footprint of the site.  The following series of images record the lighting of the bonfire, which attracted a large crowd of spectators.

Saintfield Mini Twelfth

Continuing our theme of Orange Order events during July the focus of this short blog is in the Co Down town of Saintfield, which has a very popular mini twelfth parade each year on the Friday night before the 12th July.

One of the characteristics of the event is the friendly atmosphere and unlike city parades spectators enjoy a much better variety of marching bands.  Main Street is the focal point for the parade which is packed deep with spectators regardless of the weather conditions.

The series of photographs that follow focus on just one lodge, the Cross of Saint Patrick LOL 688.  I hope you enjoy the following images and trust that they convey something of the atmosphere of the evening.

Waiting for the parade to begin!

Off the to assembly point!

At the assembly waiting to move off!

A short distance outside Saintfield we move off!  The band featured is Suffolk Melody Flute Band which was formed out of Suffolk Boys' Brigade Company.