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RATHLIN SOUND MARITIME FESTIVAL 2019 - SUNDAY 26TH MAY

Irish Feast:
Sun 26th May, 11:30am (about 3 hours):
Around the Island Food & Boat Tour £70pp Book via www.irishfeast.com
A scenic around the island boat tour learning about history through food. Food isn't just fuel; it has been the backbone of the Rathlin economy. Learn with a laugh and be wowed by the stunning scenery Rathlin offers, yet few see. See the seabirds at the West Lighthouse from a different viewpoint, see Bruce's Cave, and hear about the smugglers on Rathlin and all with delicious food!

The Gathering Drum
Sun 26th May, somewhere on the seafront, (you’ll hear where!) midday and on…
Everyone has rhythm and with the help of an experienced facilitator, you can create and share a powerful and energising experience through the medium of drums and percussion. Whatever your age, prepare to have a lot of fun!

Sand shaping
Sun 26th May, afternoon at the seafront
Sandcastle competition: no planning permission required - come and build, shape or otherwise create a beautiful sand sculpture on the beach...

“Kindness rocks”
Sun 26th May, seafront, from 2pm and then wherever you find them...
A scattering of small hand-painted rocks will give you something extra to look for around Rathlin’s roads pathways and seafront. Join in the hunt, photograph your finds along the way and post your images on the dedicated Facebook page “Rathlin Kindness Rocks”.
On Sunday, Join our resident artists and get creative, painting some more of those stones that can then be added to trail around the island.

‘Let’s go fly a kite...’
Sun 26th May, afternoon at the seafront
‘Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest height...’ (Well, unless it gets so high the Civil Aviation Authorities need to be informed?) Bring your favourite kite, or make one to bring for the occasion, then come along and hope for an appropriate breeze...

Round Island Cruise:
Sun 26th May, leaving Ballycastle 5pm, return Ballycastle approximately 7.45pm
Enjoy the spectacular sea cliffs and wildlife of the Rathlin coastline from a different perspective, and with a tour guide. Tickets £20, concessions available. Hosted by the Rathlin Island Ferry Company. Tel: 028 2076 9299 for details – booking essential. Proceeds from the Cruise will support community funds.

Drontheims, Currachs and the like...
Add tides, weather, volunteer hours, interest and passion together with beautiful locally-built traditional boats, provide a week to gather them all together, stir well and see what happens. Over the two weekends there will be traditional boats in Rathlin’s waters. With luck they will be around during the week. Search them out, chat to their crews and enjoy a taste of maritime culture.

SS Rathlin Exhibition:
Fri 24th May – Sun 2nd June, St Thomas’s Church, all day and every day
Learn about the dramatic work of the WWII convoy rescue ship the SS Rathlin, and the hundreds of men she saved from drowning. From peacetime ferrying across the Irish Sea to the disastrous Arctic Convoy “PQ17”, the Rathlin’s life-saving role is examined, bringing this little-known story to a wider audience. This exhibition will continue to run after the Festival for the remainder of the summer.

No shelter for plastic:
Fri 24th May – Sun 2nd June, Passenger shelter, Pier 1
A display of ‘interesting plastic items’, flotsam and jetsam that have found their way to Rathlin’s shores and will be artistically installed into spaces in the passenger shelter for your education and amusement. Please don’t remove the exhibits but feel free to add to it if you come across something appropriate.

Festival in a shop:
Fri 24th May – Sun 2nd June, Co-op Community Shop
Make your own mask or pirate patch, make your own basking shark and other pirate/maritime based crafts (open during regular shop hours).
Grab n Go foods offering Fresh made Seafood Picnics by arrangement. £25pp (2 people per order min) for picnics including lobster, crab and seaweeds. Email: rathlinshop@gmail.com

A clean sea wall:
Fri 24th May – Sun 2nd June, Co-op Community Shop
Rathlin is one of 10 UK islands involved in the Cold Water Islands project, a year-long pilot project supported by Surfers against Sewage and Parley for the Oceans to tackle plastic pollution and marine litter. Come and see the information wall on the project, which islands are in with us and what we, and you, can do to clean up our act. Island businesses are reinforcing the message by reducing plastic waste and providing water refills for your own bottles. What can you do to make a sea change on marine litter?

Extra-curricular music:
Listen out for local singer songwriter Wendy Jack who will 'Pop-Up' in various locations during the festival...

Sea in the Lighthouse
Fri 24th May – Sun 2nd June, ‘Under the Sea’ Room, West Light, 11am-3pm every day
Video art works by Susan Hughes, made on Rathlin and other coastal locations of Iceland and Norway. Visual footage of below and above the surface of the sea is accompanied by audio of the artists’ own fiddle playing in response to the rhythms and tones found in the physical environment. Usual West Light Seabird Centre admission charges apply.