East Antrim venue for accordion festival

Carrickfergus will once again play host to Northern Ireland’s largest accordion festival this weekend.
The event will be held at Belfast Loughshore Hotel (image Google).The event will be held at Belfast Loughshore Hotel (image Google).
The event will be held at Belfast Loughshore Hotel (image Google).

The 23rd annual Northern Ireland Open Accordion Championships are being held in the East Antrim town for the tenth time and have attracted a bumper 209 entries.

Competitors from as far afield as England, Scotland, Germany and the Republic of Ireland will be taking part as well as a strong local entry.

Catering for all types of accordion music there will be solo, duet, group, orchestral and marching band sections suitable for all ages and grades ranging in styles from classical and continental to traditional.

There shall also be a number of trade exhibitors which shall add greatly to the interest and atmosphere.

The event will take place this Saturday, February 22 at the Belfast Loughshore Hotel, starting at 9:30am and running until 4:30pm.

Prize presentation will take place later that night at a gala dance in the hotel with the Keith Dickson Scottish Ceilidh Group.

There will also be a 45 minute concert featuring top accordion duettist Julie Best and Jean Corrighan together with a number of prize winners from previous years.

Meanwhile, a free concert will also be held in the Glendun Suite on Friday night, February 21.

It will feature top accordionists Nigel Black, Gary Arnold, Tom Cruickshank, Sean O’Neill and Anne-Marie Devine, Nigel Pasby and Helen Newton, and Helen Rich.

The Accordion Championships are recognised by the National Accordion Organisation of the United Kingdom as a qualifying heat for the British Championships.

Daytime admission is free.