Celtic culture takes over Portarlington as thousands attend national festival

THOUSANDS passed through Portarlington over the long weekend, singing, dancing and raising a glass at the National Celtic Folk Festival.

The three-day event was the biggest yet, with Celtic music, art and culture taking over the coastal town.

Alongside beloved and emerging international acts, hundreds of local singers, dancers and musicians took to festival stages across the weekend.

Michelle Macadam has attended the festival for more than seven years with the Geelong Highland Pipe Band.

The drummer said the event was a highlight of the year, both as a performer and a lover of Celtic music.

“The atmosphere is just amazing,” Macadam said.

“It’s an amazing weekend to be down here, and enjoy all types of Celtic music, not just from our lovely pipe band but all the way through to sitting down and listening to Claymore.”

Now a stalwart, Macadam first joined the pipe band after her son begged to learn to play the bagpipes.

Eventually she relented and figured if he was joining the band, she may as well join too.

“I play the tenor drum and I love it,” Macadam said.

“I get to flourish, I get to show off and have fun literally beating away [on my own drum] and have a good laugh with the rest of my band members.”

As crowds continued to build on a drizzly Saturday morning, Macadam said the enthusiasm festivalgoers brought each year was what made performing so rewarding.

“Having the crowds is the best thing about the whole weekend,” she said. “Rain, hail, shine – the crowds come.

“You could be knee deep in mud and they’ll still come.”

Away from the marquees and stages, a performance of a different kind was underway.

For the 15th year, Glen Lachlann Estate College of Arms (GLECA) returned to the Bellarine with demonstrations and competitions showcasing historical swordsmanship.

Some of the country’s best swordspeople demonstrated the skill and precision required to wield longswords and backswords.

Sarah Feely said the competitions always attracted strong interest from festivalgoers. Beyond the spectacle, she said there was another element audiences enjoyed.

“Lots of people get really interested when the shiny hits the shiny – it makes a very pretty noise,” she said.

“From experience, that is very distracting when you are trying to have your own bout somewhere else.”

Across the weekend, GLECA ran both one-on-one and two-on-two tournaments, with junior students paired with senior students for bouts.

Feely said that regardless of where they were competing or demonstrating their skills, safety remained paramount.

“With what we do, we are very, very, very strict with our rules on what we are allowed to do and what certain people are allowed to do,” she said.

Working within a grading system, she said ensuring students were properly trained and prepared to use each type of sword was essential for everyone’s safety, including members of the public taking part in come-and-try sessions.