Author: whatsonni

The 2025 Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival is set to be the best one yet, with a fantastic array of food, drink, music and community events – there’s sure to be something for everyone.

This year, the ever-popular festival will run from Friday 3rd October through to Sunday 5th October, continuing to embrace local heritage, while underlining the Borough’s reputation as a food and drink destination of outstanding quality.

Visitors can look forward to sampling some of the best artisan produce the Borough has to offer with the annual festival hosted in the heart of the charming village of Bushmills.

This year will see an array of salmon & whiskey products on offer across the long weekend, with visitors having opportunities to sample products alongside live cookery demonstrations from social media sensation The Hungry Hooker and celebrity chef Suzie-Lee!

Visitors will experience the warm hospitality Bushmills has to offer, with a side serving of whiskey – if you enjoy ‘a wee dram’ as the festival continues to provide a platform for exciting food and drink producers in the local area and beyond.

On Friday 3rd October, diners will have a choice of delicious menus, brought to you by three of the village’s top restaurants. The popular Bushmills ‘Supper Club’ experience is designed to captivate the taste buds, with delicious drinks and sumptuous dishes created collaboratively by Tartine and renowned Slemish Market Chef Rob Curley.

The Bistro at the Courthouse have very special evening planned to start the festivities (pre booking advised). The bespoke menu will focus on food and drink produce from the Causeway Coast and Glens. As a special treat, local storyteller Colin Irwin will entertain with tidbits about whiskey between courses, and musician Anna Brolly will be singing for the guests.

The Bushmills Inn will also be showcasing their ‘Innkeepers Menu’ – a 3-course dinner with the dishes inspired by salmon & whiskey, with the option to add on their specially crafted festival cocktail or a Bushmills Whiskey Flight.

On Saturday 4th October, Naturally North Coast & Glens Artisan Market will set up in the side car park near Therapy Style with street food and craft stalls. They will also host ‘Meet the Maker’ sessions held in Bushmills VIC from 11am – 4pm. While on Sunday 5th October, the full market also moves onto main street, as the village closes to traffic and becomes a hub of activity set against a backdrop of live music adding to the festival atmosphere.

The world-famous Bushmills Distillery will be open all weekend, hosting tours and whiskey tasting. Enjoy a walking tour through the working core of the world’s oldest licensed distillery, then taste for yourself the culmination of more than 400 years of expertise and innovation.

The popular ‘Whiskey Hub’ returns to Main Street Carpark on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October. On Saturday, a newly added feature of the Whiskey Hub for 2025 invites visitors to hear about the history of Bushmills Distillery, the oldest whiskey distillery in the world, along with the chance to see products made from old whiskey barrels. For whiskey enthusiasts who would love to sample a wee dram, on Sunday, distillers from across the island of Ireland will offer visitors a chance to sample a range of exciting and interesting blends of whiskeys.

Over the three days, Council’s VIC team will showcase a selection of products recently awarded ‘Food & Drink Producer Award Winners of 2025’ from 10am – 5pm daily, including opportunities to sample some for yourself!

For those of you with green fingers, The Community Garden will host various activities throughout the day in conjunction with Council’s Biodiversity Officer.

Tartine’s Salmon and Chowder Shack will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 5pm. Serving award winning seafood chowder and delicious Salmon bites. Ewings famous smoked salmon will also be available to purchase. ‘The Crumble Cart’ at Tartine will serve warm apple crumble made with local apples and served with whiskey custard to go.

The recently restored Courthouse Shared Space Creative Hub, Bushmills, will present an interesting and varied programme of events across the weekend, welcoming visitors to see its historic transformation into a shared space and creative hub for the community. In the Bistro, talented local chefs and producers will also be demonstrating how to use salmon, whiskey and accompanying products to elevate and enhance meals at home. Come along and get a tip or two!

A fantastic programme of live music and entertainment will be available across the village all weekend, with lots of fun activities for the kids. On Sunday, Millennium Park will have a host of fishing activities for both young and old, experienced or novice, such as fly casting and fly tying. Come and have a go, see if you can hook something!

There will also be quiet time sessions for individuals with additional needs on Sunday from 11am – 12noon.

For those interested in the history of the village, the Inland Fisheries Salmon Station will return for 2025 opening on Friday and Saturday for pre-booked tours. To book your place visit: https://bit.ly/3IfLLGs.

Local resident Antony Macnaghten invites visitors to join his Heritage Walking Tour on Friday and Saturday from 1pm & 3pm. (booking via Bushmills VIC).

For more information and for the full event programme visit: www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com

Bangor’s much-loved celebration of reading, writing, and words, Aspects Festival, is just around the corner.

Opening on Wednesday 24 September the festival will present a rich and varied programme for literary enthusiasts, featuring award-winning authors, poetry, exhibitions, politics, nature writing and more.

The line-up brings together some of the most exciting voices in literature, alongside heartfelt tributes and brand-new work. From author events to intimate workshops, music and art, Aspects 2025 offers something for everyone who loves a good story.

Programme highlights include:

Eamon Carr – Pure Gold: In Conversation with Neil Martin
Horslips lyricist and drummer Eamon Carr joins Neil Martin to discuss his latest book Pure Gold, a collection of candid and entertaining interviews with cultural icons including Jack Charlton, Eartha Kitt, Shane MacGowan and Malcolm McLaren. Pure Gold opens a window onto a time before rehearsed TV appearances and social media soundbites, offering raw and intimate portraits of global stars and national treasures.

The Chamber, Bangor Castle | Thursday 2 October, 7:30pm | £10

Carol Drinkwater – One Summer in Provence
Actress and bestselling author Carol Drinkwater presents her new novel One Summer in Provence. This captivating story of secrets, love and new beginnings follows Cecilia Grey, who appears to have the perfect life on a vineyard in France – until a stranger claiming to be her son arrives, upending everything. Best known for her role as Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small, Drinkwater is also the author of twenty-five books, including the acclaimed Olive Farm memoir series.

Bangor Castle | Saturday 4 October, 7:30pm | £12

Remembering Michael Longley
A special tribute will honour the life and work of the late Michael Longley, one of the greatest poets of the English language and a longtime friend of Aspects Festival. Hosted by Festival Founder Kenneth Irvine, the event will feature Seamus McKee, Duke Special, Malachi O’Doherty, Claire Hanna and Michael Lewis, who will share memories and favourite poems in celebration of Longley’s extraordinary contribution to poetry and his enduring connection to Aspects.

Bangor Castle | Sunday 5 October, 6:00pm | £10

Speaking about the 2025 festival, Patricia Hamilton, Festival Director, said:
“We are really looking forward to this year’s festival and to welcoming award-winning writers from all around the island of Ireland who will showcase their work alongside local talent.”

Aspects Festival takes place from 24 September to 5 October at various locations around Bangor. The full festival programme and booking details are available at: https://aspectsfestival.com/whats-on

Bangor Welcomes Readers and Writers for Aspects Festival 2025

Bangor’s much-loved celebration of reading, writing, and words, Aspects Festival, is just around the corner. Opening on Wednesday 24 September the festival will present a rich and varied programme for literary enthusiasts, featuring award-winning authors, poetry, exhibitions, politics, nature writing and more.

The line-up brings together some of the most exciting voices in literature, alongside heartfelt tributes and brand-new work. From author events to intimate workshops, music and art, Aspects 2025 offers something for everyone who loves a good story.

Programme highlights include:

Eamon Carr – Pure Gold: In Conversation with Neil Martin
Horslips lyricist and drummer Eamon Carr joins Neil Martin to discuss his latest book Pure Gold, a collection of candid and entertaining interviews with cultural icons including Jack Charlton, Eartha Kitt, Shane MacGowan and Malcolm McLaren. Pure Gold opens a window onto a time before rehearsed TV appearances and social media soundbites, offering raw and intimate portraits of global stars and national treasures.

The Chamber, Bangor Castle | Thursday 2 October, 7:30pm | £10

Carol Drinkwater – One Summer in Provence
Actress and bestselling author Carol Drinkwater presents her new novel One Summer in Provence. This captivating story of secrets, love and new beginnings follows Cecilia Grey, who appears to have the perfect life on a vineyard in France – until a stranger claiming to be her son arrives, upending everything. Best known for her role as Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small, Drinkwater is also the author of twenty-five books, including the acclaimed Olive Farm memoir series.

Bangor Castle | Saturday 4 October, 7:30pm | £12

Remembering Michael Longley
A special tribute will honour the life and work of the late Michael Longley, one of the greatest poets of the English language and a longtime friend of Aspects Festival. Hosted by Festival Founder Kenneth Irvine, the event will feature Seamus McKee, Duke Special, Malachi O’Doherty, Claire Hanna and Michael Lewis, who will share memories and favourite poems in celebration of Longley’s extraordinary contribution to poetry and his enduring connection to Aspects.

Bangor Castle | Sunday 5 October, 6:00pm | £10

Speaking about the 2025 festival, Patricia Hamilton, Festival Director, said:
“We are really looking forward to this year’s festival and to welcoming award-winning writers from all around the island of Ireland who will showcase their work alongside local talent.”

Aspects Festival takes place from 24 September to 5 October at various locations around Bangor. The full festival programme and booking details are available at: https://aspectsfestival.com/whats-on

Sunday 21st September shoppers, foodies, and craft lovers are in for a real treat as the highly anticipated Lough Neagh Artisans Market brings together the best of local produce,
handcrafted goods, and unique gift ideas to the shores of Lough Neagh, outside the Lock Keeper’s Cottage in Toome.

Whether you are shopping for a September birthday, getting ahead for the winter season, or even starting your Christmas shopping early (with just over 90 days to go), the Lough Neagh
Artisans Market is the perfect place to find one-of-a-kind items while supporting local makers and producers.

We are honoured to announce a unique evening with acclaimed author Colum McCann as he returns to HomePlace. 

He is joined by Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin, the two bereaved fathers whose extraordinary friendship and shared grief inspired the internationally celebrated novel Apeirogon.  Together they bring us “Apeirogon” The Until We Talk Tour on Sunday 12 October at 4pm.

At a time when the world is witnessing deepening conflict and polarisation, their presence offers a vital reminder of the power of empathy, dialogue, and human connection across divides.

The conversation will be interwoven with music from long-time collaborator and renowned composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire, bringing depth and poignancy to this evening of story, song, and solidarity.

Our three guests will speak about the book and the lived reality behind it—shining a light on the work of the Parents Circle, a grassroots organisation of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families committed to peace. As Ireland welcomes these voices of courage and reconciliation, the call to widen and support the “parents circle” resonates with urgency and hope, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, there is a path toward mutual understanding.

This event takes place on Sunday 12 October at 4pm, tickets £20

Tickets for this event go on sale at 10am on Friday 5 September, and can be  purchased by calling the box office on 028 7938 7444 or online at

A fascinating new exhibition, The History Detectives, is now open at North Down Museum’s Long Gallery. The exhibition is free and open daily.

The project began when three like-minded local historians – Leanna Russell, Moira Concannon and Lesley Simpson, realised that comparatively little had been published about the history of their home area of Balloo and Killinchy. Determined to fill this gap, they undertook their own detailed research into the people and places that shaped their community.

The History Detectives follows their journey into the past and showcases the sources they used, from maps, leases and wills to letters and photographs. These materials reveal the lives of farmers, millers, publicans, shopkeepers, doctors, postmasters and Presbyterian ministers from Balloo and surrounding townlands across past centuries.

The exhibition also features a range of artefacts, including loaned items from the Public Records Office NI and the National Museums NI, offering visitors a rare chance to see this history brought vividly to life.

Alongside the exhibition, visitors are invited to a special talk, How to Become a History Detective, on Thursday 9 October at 7pm in North Down Museum (booking essential).

The session will be led by local history detectives Lesley Simpson, Moira Concannon and Leanna Russell, who will share their experiences of researching the history of Balloo and Killinchy, as well as offering practical advice on how anyone can begin exploring their own local history.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum said: North Down Museum is always grateful to have an opportunity to create new relationships with our communities and to provide a platform where interesting and diverse stories of the past can be explored and enjoyed by our visitors, both local and those from further afield. The museum is committed to celebrating and promoting every part of our Borough and we hope to enjoy a closer relationship with Killinchy going into the future.”

North Down Museum’s Manager, Arlene Matthews added: “We are so pleased to have an exhibition that celebrates the rich history of the Killinchy area. To explore this fascinating heritage, we have been able to secure some rarely seen, incredible loans from National institutions as well as from our local community.”

The History Detectives can be viewed in North Down Museum’s Long Gallery until Sunday 16 November. Admission is free.

For more information, visit: The History Detectives | AND Culture