Festival Session Venues

Before I give you my list of the best session venues in & around Bushmills, I'd like to explain a couple of things to visiting musicians who may have experienced music festivals in southern Ireland, but never ventured north into Ulster.

Unless you have been living under a stone for the past thirty years, it will not have escaped your notice that Northern Ireland has not had its troubles to seek!

Kathleen Smith, Nat Magee, Christine Smith, William Rea & Barry Carroll with Alistair on Fiddle at CDF05.

[Photo Jenny Coxon]

When you come to the CDF, you must remember that Bushmills is a Protestant town, 100% Protestant! So with this in mind, you must realise that you WILL be welcome, with your instrument & your music, in some venues in the town & quite simply NOT welcome in others.

Niall, Barry, Lindsay & ? at the opening session of CDF05.

[Photo Jenny Coxon]

I'm sure this is the case in any town, anywhere, whether it be football related, ethnic or, as in many towns in Ulster, religous segregation, we all find ouselves at one time or another having to avoid certain places, and so it is in Bushmills.

This is Bushmill's first Traditional Music Festival & it's hard for us to imagine, I know, but Traditional music is not exactly everyone's cup of tea. For example, did you know that Country & Country & Western are the most popular forms of music in Ireland!

Sabine in The Smugglers Inn, Bushmills

[Photo Art Ward]

Another point worth bearing in mind is that a number of the venues listed below are in fact restuarants, so they may not have much room for musicians during meal times, so please be polite and ask before you set up.

However, I have been playing traditional music in a number of venues in & around Bushmills for the past eight years, and so have a fair understanding of where you will be welcome, & where not.

Another reason why I make a point of recommending certain venues, is that they are probably ones who support & promote traditional music throughout the year, & so should be congratulated for that effort & likewise supported by us this weekend.

Seamus Connor & myself in The Smugglers Inn, Bushmills

[Photo Art Ward]

To be sure, when you arrive, please search for one of the festival organisers and they will be happy to advise you.

In the meantime, here is my list:

Seamus Connor & myself in The Smugglers Inn, Bushmills

[Photo Art Ward]

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In Town

The Distiller's Arms , Main Street

The Bushmills Inn , Main Street

The Scotch House, Main Street

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Outskirts of Town

The The Smugglers Inn, Whitepark Road, en route to the GIant's Causeway

The Causeway Hotel , by the GIant's Causeway

The Nook, by the GIant's Causeway

The Bayview Hotel, Portbalintrae

Sweeney's Wine Bar, Portbalintrae

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For anyone wishing to get away from Bushmills for an hour or two for a quiet tune, I would recommend three fine session pubs with fine track records, in three different North Antrim towns The House of McDonnell in Ballycastle Springhill Bar

For details of other Session Pubs throughout North Antrim, go to Sessions

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