After Bannockburn...The Seizing of...

06 June 2016

To commemorate the seizing of Carrickfergus Castle by Edward Bruce in 1316, the Ulster-Scots Agency and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in partnership with the Department for Communities hosted the Bruce Festival 2016 on June 4 and 5, featuring The Knights of Royal England, Europe’s premier jousting team.

The festival took place at Carrickfergus Castle and Marine Gardens and included jousting, dramatic re-enactments, street theatre, falconry, traditional storytelling, blacksmith demonstrations, archery, medieval battle workshops and family entertainment.

This year’s festival saw over 5,000 people attend the Castle and Marine Gardens over the course of the 2 days with the Knights of Royal England conducting a dramatic jousting tournament on Saturday June 4 at Marine Gardens with an awesome spectacle of chivalry, hand to hand combat, mounted challenges and horsemanship! 

Catriona Holmes, development officer for the Ulster-Scots Agency said “This is a fantastic event in the Ulster-Scots Agency’s calendar and provides families with a fun filled day out while learning more about the rich Ulster Scots heritage in the Carrickfergus area.  This year’s festival was a great success with over 5,000 people taking part and we are looking forward to hosting it again in 2017!”

The Knights of Royal England are the premiere jousting company in Europe and stage over 60 shows each year, having performed at both large and small venues all over the world, the Knights of Royal England create a spectacular event for all the family to see!  This is a sight not to be missed!

The jousting team also hosted a 'Meet the Knights' event on the Castle Green on Sunday June 5 which allowed spectators to speak with the Knights and find out more about jousting in the 14th century, the weapons they used, the equipment and of course, their horses.