Shiver Me Timbers…… Pirate Festival in Baltimore!

A weekend of events remembering in an entertaining and informative way one of the most sensational events in Baltimore’s colourful past – the attack by Barbary corsairs known as ‘the Sack of Baltimore’ which made the village a focus of international attention. However, the Algerians were by no means the only pirates operating in the waters around Baltimore. The festival includes attractions for all ages (some serious, some less so) based on the theme of the sacking and the story of pirates and piracy around these shores.

This is taken from the Baltimore website – for further information and more details on ‘the sack of Baltimore’ please visit the site.

Here is the programme taken from the site so you can plan your weekend of eye-patches, parrots, rum and peg-legs.

2012 PROGRAMME
Throughout this piratical weekend a competition will run for the best-dressed male and best-dressed female pirate. Continual assessment will take place throughout Saturday and Sunday and points will be awarded for costume and the most bubbly Baltimore buccaneer’s behaviour. Final judgement and booty prizegiving will take place on Sunday afternoon at 5pm.

Friday 29th June
7–9pm Music and storytelling at The Glebe with optional barbecue. Listen to buccaneering songs and tales of the sea and times past. €10.

Saturday 30th June
11am Children’s pirate treasure hunt at Glebe Gardens. Noon 24 hour pirate ‘swimathon’ in Baltimore swimming pool. Proceeds in aid of Baltimore Community Leisure Centre. For further details contact pool (028 20622). 2.30pm Pirate conference in Dún na Séad castle. Speakers: Des Ekin, assistant editor of the Sunday World and author of The Stolen Village will discuss the Sack of Baltimore and the trade in Christian captives to the slave markets of Algiers, and Connie Kelleher, underwater archaeologist with the Dept. of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s underwater archaeology unit, will discuss piracy off the south coast in the early seventeenth century. Bookings 087 2903236. €10. Afternoon (By arrangement) snorkel with your personal guide and visit pirates’ caves and inlets around Baltimore that in the seventeenth century would have been used to hide boats and bounty. Subject to weather and minimum numbers so prebooking is necessary ( 028 20511). Afternoon (By arrangement) kayaking excursions into coastal pirate caves and inlets to search for hidden booty (028 21058). 4pm Entertainment at the Square with living history ‘pirates’ and interactive re-enactments of aspects of the Sack of Baltimore. Be transported back to the Baltimore of 1631 and experience the pirate raid. Dress up in pirate costume or be taken captive and put in chains. Listen to a chorus of sea shanties performed by a band of local lads and lassies, while exotic dancers in colourful costume transport you to the slave markets of north Africa. Afternoon activities begin at 4pm followed by music at the Square performed by the usual Scurvy Scoundrels!!

Sunday 1st July
2.30 and 4.30pm Pirate boat tours of Baltimore harbour. These tours will have live commentary and will explore the course taken by the Algerian pirates when they raided Baltimore in 1631, taking 107 inhabitants off to a life of slavery in North Africa (087 2638470). Afternoon Throughout the afternoon there will be entertainment at the Square again with interactive living history re-enactments. Delve into the world of piracy and slavery of seventeenth century Baltimore. 2.30pm Children’s best dressed pirate competition with parade from the Square. 3.00–4.30pm Afternoon of children’s games and entertainment in the pirate playground. (Fundraiser organised by Rath Parents’ Association). 5pm Prizegiving of children’s pirate fancy dress competition and primary schools’ drawing and short story competition. Final judging of best adult male and female pirate. 5.30pm Celebrate your successful survival of the pirate weekend with more Scurvy Scoundrels’ music at the Square!!