Aughakillymaude Community Mummers Visit Cheshire
Issue: Traditional Drama Forum - No.5
Article type: Features
The Aughakillymaude Community Mummers from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland visited Cheshire from Friday 28th June to Tuesday 2nd July 2002, for a weekend of Traditional Dance & Drama. This was only the second time Aughakillymaude have been to England and the first to the North West in what proved to be a full and varied weekend involving a mix of public performances and workshops for local schoolchildren.

Captain Mummer - White Ned - St Patrick.
Sunday 31st June 2002 at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal. - Photo: Duncan Broomhead

- Auld Dolan
Saturday 30th June 2002 at Macclesfield. Photo: Duncan Broomhead
Many of the Mummers wear the straw costumes and high conical straw hats that are such a feature of mumming from Fermanagh. Their performance involves a Hero Combat Play interspersed with singing, dancing and music.

Miss Funny - Big Head and Little Wit - Auld Dolan
Saturday 30th June 2002 at Macclesfield.
Photo: Duncan Broomhead

Beelzebub.
Saturday 30th June 2002 at Mobberley.
Photo: Roger Jackson

Jack Straw with Mrs Dane - Miss Funny with Jenny Wren -
Irish Calin with Doctor Good and Sure.
Saturday 30th June 2002 at Chester, Photo: Roger Jackson
They were guests of Adlington Morris Men, the event was funded by a grant from the 'National Lottery Awards for All' programme.
Duncan Broomhead
[See also Duncan's account of the Aughakillymaude Community Mummers at the Enniskillen Mumming Festival in 2000, in Traditional Drama Forum No.2.]