WELCOME
WALCOME – FÁILTE
Welcome, Walcome, and Fáilte to the first Loch Lao Christian Heritage Festival, or the Blackbird Festival! In Ulster Scots, this is the Bilfawst Loch Christyan Heirschip Feis, or the Blackburd Feis; and in Irish the Feis Oidhreachta Críostaí Loch Lao, or Feis Loch Lao.
This is the first, but we certainly hope that this will not be the last of its type.
The Festival brings together the Ullans Academy, St Mary’s University College and Forbairt Feiste (an Irish-language training organization). The latter two are based in West Belfast. The festival is organizing a programme of events from Saturday 15th October to Thursday 20th October, around the Feast-day of St Gall on Sunday 16th October. A separate brochure will list all the events in Belfast and Bangor, whereas this deals with the Bangor events alone.
The Festival acknowledges and uses three languages;
English is the language most of speak most of the time;
Ulster Scots reminds us of the days of Blair of Bangor; for centuries Ulster Scots was the common speech in these parts until the coming of the railway; and
Irish takes us back to the heyday of Bangor Abbey and the “Golden Age”. Through the work of Irish monks, Irish became the first common language in Western Europe to be written down, apart from the Classics.
BLACKBIRD FESTIVAL
BLACKBURD FEIS
FEIS LOCH LAO
Sometime in the 9th century a monk, probably from the Abbey of Bangor, tired of the tedious copying of Latin manuscripts. For a break he wrote a short poem, not in Latin, but in his everyday language. This he copied into the margin of the manuscript he was working on at the time. The monk wrote of a blackbird, perched on a whin bush, singing out over Loch Laíg. That poem, of only 8 lines, has become a famous literary treasure of Old Irish.
In modern Irish Loch Laíg is written Loch Lao. In English, we know it as Belfast Lough. The blackbird symbolises the essential unity of all the people who live around the shores of the lough.
Whin, blackbird, the waters of the lough – the young Gall would have known these too. But Gall would join the missionary party led by Columbanus and sent out by the Bangor monastery into the European continent. The missionaries, perhaps Ireland ’s first to continental Europe, would face hardship and danger at every turn. Yet the mission was greatly blessed. When it arrived, the Christian faith in Western Europe was threatened with extinction from numerous barbarian invasions. After the Columbanus mission, Christianity revived and began to convert the pagan barbarians.
Today Gall is revered as the patron saint of Switzerland. Every Swiss schoolchild learns of St Gall. Would that the same were true in Gall’s native land.
We are pleased to welcome Frau Frau Maria Hufenus from the Swiss city of St Gallen which takes its name from St Gall. Frau Hufenus, St Gallen’s expert on all things Irish, will lecture in both Belfast and Bangor.
EVENTS
Events
Ploys
Imeachtaí
(a) Lecture
Lecturs
Léacht
Tuesday 18th October 2011
Venue: North Down Museum, Bangor
Time: 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Event: “The European Importance and Influence of the Abbey of St Gall”
Public lecture by Frau Maria Hufenus, St Gallen City and Abbey Library Guide. To book your place, telephone the Museum on 028 9127 1200 or visit the site http://www.northdown.gov.uk/bookings . Places are limited.
Frau Hufenus is giving two other lectures at St Mary’s University College, Belfast, on Monday 17th at 12 noon, and on Thursday 20th at 3 p.m.
(b) Ulster Scots Evening
Ullans e’enin
Tráthnóna Albanach Uladh
Wednesday 19th October 2011
Venue: Marine Court Hotel, Bangor
Time: 7.30 pm
Event: “A Word of Ulster Scots”
With Liam Logan, author of the book of the same name. Introduced by Dr Ian Adamson OBE, High Sheriff of Belfast and President of the Ullans Academy. Admission: £5 at door to include tea or coffee.
MUSEUM TOURS
Museum Tours
Museum Vaiges
Turais san Iarsmalann
Venue: North Down Museum Castle Park Avenue Bangor
Free Guided Tours of up to one hour. Your qualified museum guide will take you on a tour of the Mary O’Fee Early Christian Gallery. To book your place, telephone the Museum on 028 9127 1200.
Saturday 15th October 2011: Time: 3 p.m.
Sunday 16th October 2011 FEAST DAY OF ST GALL: Time: 3 p.m.
Monday 17th October 2011: Museum closed.
Tuesday 18th October 2011: Times: 10.30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Wednesday 19th October 2011: No tours.
Thursday 20th October 2011: Times: 10.30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
CHURCH TOURS
Church tours
Kirk Vaiges
Turais ar Eaglaisí
Dates: Saturday 15th , Monday 17th, Tuesday18th, Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th.
Some of Bangor’s most historic churches are offering free guided tours of their buildings during the Festival. There are some tours available on each day bar Sunday. Tours should last no more than one hour.
No Booking is needed. Your guide will be an experienced member of the congregation.
So why not show up to learn about a church you might otherwise never visit. There is no charge.
St Columbanus, Ballyholme 9.30 am: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.
Bangor Abbey 11 am, Mon, Tues, Wed,
St Comgall’s Church of Ireland (Town Centre) 11.30 a.m: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.
St Comgall’s Catholic Brunswick Road 12.30 pm: Tues.
St Gall’s, Carnalea 2 pm: Wed.
Wesley Centenary Methodist, Hamilton Road 2.30 pm: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.
First Bangor Presbyterian 3.30 pm: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.
Hamilton Road Baptist 4 p.m.: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.
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CHURCH SERVICES
Kirk Preachins
Seirbhisí Eaglasta
‘Let us not give up meeting together’- Hebrews 10:25
As a public service only, we are giving details of selected Sunday Services in the town. The churches mentioned have no necessary relationship with the Loch Lao Partnership nor with the Blackbird Festival, even though many of them are offering Church Tours in conjunction with our programme.
Sunday 16th October 2011
FEAST DAY OF ST GALL
Event: Selected Church services
Bangor Abbey: Holy Communion 8.30 a.m., Morning Service 11 a.m., Evening Service 6.30 p.m.
First Bangor Presbyterian: Morning Service 10.30 a.m., Evening Service 7 p.m.
Hamilton Road Baptist: Morning Worship 11 a.m., Communion 6.30 p.m.
St Columbanus, Ballyholme: Holy Communion 8.30 a.m., Morning Worship 10 a.m., Morning Prayer 11.30 a.m., Evening Worship 6.30 p.m.
St Comgall’s Catholic, Brunswick Road: Masses [Vigil, Saturday 6.30 p.m.], 10.30 a.m. & 12.30 p.m.
St Comgall’s Church of Ireland, Town Centre: Sunday Worship 8.30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11.30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
St Gall’s, Carnalea: Holy Communion 8.30 a.m., Morning Worship 10.a.m, Evening Service 6.30 p.m.
Wesley Centenary Methodist, Hamilton Road: Morning Service 11 a.m, Holy Communion 7 p.m.