midsummer: oíche tine cnámh

A summer solstice evening to mark midsummer with Ulster Folk Museum and An Droichead

Book Midsummer Tickets

Date

Saturday 21st June

Time

19:00 to 23:00

Price

£15

Immerse yourself in ancient tradition as we celebrate Midsummer with music, storytelling, dance and fire.

Midsummer has its roots in ancient Irish traditions. It's a sacred celebration of fire, rituals and the sun. We're marking this significant date in the Celtic calendar on Saturday 21st June - also known as the Summer Solstice, or the longest day of the year. Explore our exhibit buildings as they're brought to life by crafts and music, before a dance performance around the Midsummer bonfire at our Neolithic court tomb.

In centuries past, people on this island would have lit bonfires, performed rituals to ensure good fortunes for the coming harvest, and attended ancient structures aligned to the rising sun. To honour these traditions, the Ulster Folk Museum has joined with An Droichead for this very special event.

Often known in Irish as Oíche Tine Cnámh (night of the bonfire), a fire is one of the most enduring traditions of the date. Our Midsummer evening will finish with a specially commissioned dance piece around the Midsummer fire at the Ulster Folk Museum's Neolithic court tomb. This one-off performance has been created by Off The Rails Dance, which will be performed alongside musicians curated by An Droichead. McCusker's Pub will then be open for post-performance drinks from 21:00 to 23:00.

What to know

Takes place at the Ulster Folk Museum on Saturday 21st June from 19:00 to 23:00.
Midsummer begins at 19:00, and check in begins from 18:45 at the admissions kiosk in the Folk Museum's main car park.
This event takes place in our rural area which is a slow paced 20 – 30 walk from the car park. Please note that this includes some steeper slopes, unpaved and potentially muddy ground.
The dance performance will begin at the Ballintaggart Court Tomb at 20:30.
McCusker’s Pub will be open for post-performance drinks from 21:00-23:00.
Please note that no under-18s are allowed in McCusker's Pub or the courtyard bar.
Please check the weather and dress appropriately as the event will only be cancelled in the case of extreme weather conditions.
If you have any questions on accessibility or visiting the museum, please visit the FAQ section of our website or contact [email protected] for more information.
This event is suitable for all ages, however under 16s must be supervised by an adult.

Book Midsummer Tickets

A summer solstice evening on Friday 21st June to mark midsummer with Ulster Folk Museum and An Droichead.

Meet the Performers

Eileen & Off The Rails

As Creative Director of Off the Rails Dance, Eileen has choreographed and produced several notable works, including ROOTS (part of BELFAST 2024), GUTTER (2023), The Dutiful Wife (2016), and S(3)nsored (2011). Eileen McClory was the recipient of the Arts Council Northern Ireland Major Individual Award Artist (2022) - the highest value honour bestowed on artists in Northern Ireland. Eileen has lead a diverse range of choreographic commissions, including Quotidian: Word on the Street BIND 2021 (dance film), Maiden Voyage Dance Company’s Epilogue 2021(film installation) and BRINK 2020.

Rosie Mullin

Rosie has been an integral part of the Northern Ireland dance community since 2013, creatively contributing to performances with Maiden Voyage Dance, Off The Rails (OTR), Northern Attitudes and OD Works. As a performer, Rosie has worked closely with Eileen McClory, director of OTR, most recently performing in ROOTS; an ambitious and immersive outdoor piece. Rosie’s dance practice is grounded in a belief that movement is a powerful tool for connection and she is passionate about bringing new, diverse voices into the conversation about what is the role of dance and movement art in our society.

Jaine Doherty

Janie is a movement artist, massage therapist, performer, mother and doula. Since graduating with a first-class honours in dance, Janie has been working as an arts facilitator and performer in a variety of settings. She is interested in helping people connect to an embodied state of being through movement, story-telling and performance. She has over 15 years-experience working in the community as a dance artist and is currently collaborating with women’s centres to support new mothers by reflecting on our lived experience in an embodied and artistic way.

Kevin McCullagh

Belfast fiddle player Kevin McCullagh is renowned as a musician who "subverts audience expectations of traditional Irish music" (BBC Radio 3). He applies a range of of contemporary technique and electronics to create a "loquacious style [that] fastidiously refuses to settle into predictable patterns" (The Wire). He plays regularly on the Belfast session scene, teaches a weekly fiddle class with BelfastTrad and with his band 'Córas Trio' has played throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe