Aughakillymaude Community Mummers Visit Cheshire

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.

Left to right: Miss Funny - Jack Straw - Big Head and Little Wit - Jenny Wren - Captain Mummer - White Ned - St Patrick.
Sunday 31st June 2002 at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal. - Photo: Duncan Broomhead

Standing, Left to right: Miss Funny - Doctor Good and Sure - Big Head and Little Wit (hat only) -
Auld Dolan - White Ned - Jack Straw - St Patrick. - On the floor: The Bold Slasher
Saturday 30th June 2002 at Macclesfield - first performance of the day - 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.

Jack Straw, with (in background, left to right): Miss Funny - Big Head and Little Wit - Auld Dolan Saturday 30th June 2002 at Macclesfield. Photo: Duncan Broomhead	Dancing, Big Head and Little Wit (without hat) with Beelzebub. Saturday 30th June 2002 at Mobberley. Photo: Roger Jackson
Hats off for dancing. Left to right: Big Head and Little Wit with Beelzebub - 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.]