Ould Lammas Fair

Traditionally most of the crowds attending the fair would have been traders from throughout Ireland and from Kintyre, Islay, Jura and elsewhere along the Scottish coast.

These include livestock and traditional foods such as yellowman, which is a local variant of honeycomb, and dulse, which is a type of edible seaweed.

[3] Its possible that the fair can trace its origins back even further to the ancient Celtic festival of Lughnasadh, which celebrates the beginning of the harvest season.

[4] On 28 August 2001 a Royal Ulster Constabulary officer discovered a large incendiary bomb in the centre of Ballycastle whilst the fair was running.

A line in his song; “There’s a neat little cabin on the slopes of fair Knocklayde” is thought to refer to the cottage he grew up in.

[8] Lyrics:[9] Verse At the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle long ago, I met a pretty colleen who set me heart a-glow, She was smiling at her daddy buying lambs from Paddy Roe, At the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle-O.

Verse In Flander’s fields afar while resting from the War, We drank Bon Sante to the Flemish lassies O.

But the scene that haunts my memory is kissing Mary Ann, Her pouting lips all sticky from eating Yellow Man, As we passed the silver Margy and we strolled along the strand, From the ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle-O.

Chorus Verse There’s a neat little cabin on the slopes of fair Knocklayde, It’s lit by love and sunshine where the heather honey’s made, With the bees ever humming and the children’s joyous call, Resounds across the valley as the shadows fall.