Bailieborough All Music Festival

Bailieborough All Music Festival starts this Saturday, September 4 at 7pm, as part of the Bailieborough 400 celebrations. The idea is to give the people from the town and its hinterland - and the many emigrants - a chance to meet for a big social event, to celebrate with plenty for young and old, and to have some fun. Among the activities is an art competition with three categories U8, 8-12, and 12-16 years and prizes for the top three in each. The theme is 400 years of music in Bailieborough and the drop-off points for completed artwork are Clarkes Hardware and Daybreak on Barrack Street. The winners will be announced on September 5 and all artwork will be on display in a shop unit at the top of town, along with school projects for Bailieborough 400. There will be a walking treasure hunt on Saturday, September 4, starting at 2pm on Market Square, skittles on both Saturday and Sunday, and the tug-o-war competition is on Sunday after 7pm. The children will be able to enjoy face-painting on Sunday from 5pm, and there is an organised trad session on the main street, also from 5pm on Sunday - there has been a good response from people who want to join in a fleadh-type scenario and the organising committee is inviting any budding musicians who wants to jam for a while to set up on Market Square... or anywhere along the main street they feel comfortable. Everyone is welcome; contact Aidan Clarke 086-3347132 or Padraic Clarke 086-6050430 for more information. You are asked to support the fundraising for the festival by buying a ticket for the draw, which takes place on Sunday. Don't forget, Market Square will be closed to traffic from 5pm this Saturday, and Main Street and the square will be closed to traffic on Sunday from 4pm. Weekend line-up Saturday, September 4: Feud 11pm; Friction 10-11pm; Crossfire 9-10pm; The Groove 8-9pm; Sabotage 7-8pm; The Cliches 6-7pm. Sunday, September 5: Say La V 9pm; Shane and Tommy McCluskey 8-9pm; Charlie and Nashville Sound 7-8pm; line dancing 7-8pm; trad session 5.30-7pm; Lavey Set Dancers 5-5.30pm. Find us on facebook. This is a special year for Bailieborough as it celebrates and commemorates the memories of the people who have lived there for 400 years. According to Pynnar's Survey, a William Bailie was given a grant of 1,000 acres of land in Tonergie, now known as Tanderagee. He started a small settlement, which over the centuries has evolved into the town of Bailieborough, in a slightly different location. Bailieborough Development Association has organised a number of projects to mark this anniversary: Bailieborough 400th commemoration celebrates Thomas James Barron, historian and folklorist, with a tribute lecture by Jonathan A. Smyth at Bailieborough Library and Arts Centre, September 7 at 8pm. The playwright, poet and novelist Tom MacIntyre was born and brought up in Bailieborough, and on the weekend of September 24 he will be interviewed by the author Michael Harding. There will be a lecture on the works of Tom MacIntyre by Marie Kelly, who is doing a PhD on the subject and an exhibition of his works is planned in Bailieborough Library, courtesy of the Abbey Theatre. Other projects have involved the national schools of the parish, which have worked together to explore areas of significance to themselves and to share this knowledge with each other. A group of pupils will produce a display of Bailieborough History and Lore, covering the topics Castle Lake, The Workhouse, Lough an Lae and The Model School. The Exhibition is displayed in Bailieborough Library. Bailieborough - A Pictorial Past is the work of Leslie McKeague, and there is a heritage exhibition, an exhibition of banners and a talk in Breakey Hall. The town plans to erect a plaque in Main Street where the family of Henry James lived and had their business and a booklet containing the relevant facts about the Family will be produced and made available to the library. • The project is supported by Peace III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the County Cavan Peace III Peace and Reconciliation Partnership; see bailieborough.com.