August 13, 2023
Dalriada Connections
Where music and heritage meet.
The Dalriada Connections concert is a highlight of the Mull of Kintyre Music Festival, featuring live performances of traditional Scottish, Irish and Pan-Celtic folk music.
Celebrating the cultural and musical links between Kintyre and Northern Ireland, the concert features local musicians from both sides. From haunting ballads to lively jigs and reels, this concert showcases the best of Scotland’s rich musical heritage — one of the festival’s hidden pearls.
Thanks to Kilkerran Distillery for sponsoring the miniatures at this event.
Event Details
- Tickets: £14
- Seated Only
- Age Restrictions: 0
- Licenced: no
The Full Line-up
Artist Spotlight
HEADLINING ACT
Mairi Campbell
Mairi Campbell is a prolific and pioneering Scottish musician renowned for her remarkable singing, powerful concerts and unique solo music theatre productions that push the boundaries of Scottish traditional music. Her music, which combines voice and viola, has a rooted quality, encompassing wide-ranging influences from Scottish dance music to soundings and improvisations.
After studying classical viola at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music, she has become a cornerstone of Scotland’s traditional music scene, pushing boundaries with her use of free improvisation, songs and stagecraft.
In 2019 she was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Mairi also performs with her 9-piece ensemble, the Pendulum Band.
HEADLINING ACT
Archie Mcallister & Sileas Sinclair
Archie has been playing fiddle for 40 years. He needs no introduction to the Campbeltown audience, having played with his family members and bands, including the Wee Toon Tellers, since turning full-time in 1994. He has travelled the world playing with duos and, most recently, with Skipinnish.
Joining Archie is Sileas Sinclair, with whom he has played many memorable sets, including their performance at the Jura Whisky Festival.
History
The Dalriada Connection concert’s theme is based on an affinity with the people of Northern Ireland and the historical links to them as the sea kingdom of Dalriada.
The ancient kingdom of Dalriada was a Gaelic kingdom that existed in western Scotland. It encompassed parts of present-day Argyll and Bute, as well as parts of County Antrim in present-day Northern Ireland. The kingdom was known for its rich culture and traditions, including its music and storytelling. The name “Dalriada” comes from the Gaelic words “Dál Riata”, which means “portion of the Riada”. The Riada were a group of people who inhabited the area before the kingdom’s formation.
The first Scots set foot in Kintyre around 300 AD, and evidence of their occupation is still visible today. The Festival motto, “Cradle of the Nation,” reflects the fact that an influential association had previously existed between the two regions.
