The Marymass Festival at Irvine is organised by Irvine Carters Society
and the Marymass Festival Committee
Marymass
- 3rd Sat. after 1st Mon. of Aug.
(2022: Aug.20)
with Fourth Port events on the previous Saturday
Facebook page:
Marymass Festival
For the programme, see
the Marymass Committee website
This is the website of the Irvine Carters Society.
Irvine Carters Society &
Marymass - from Noah's Ark to 2022
This web feature, set up in 2002 as a website by Past Captain Sandy Muir (Captain 1991-96; died 2015) and Carter Ian Dickson, now continues (at no cost) as an important local history resource curated within the website of Irvine Burns Club. Updated to 2022, further updating is not guaranteed.
The researches of Sandy Muir, assisted by Past
Captain Andy Tremble, led to the first full record of Marymass Queens and
Marys (in the Queen and Marys section)
| The
2022 Queen is Emma Morrison (Greenwood Academy), and
her Marys are Caitlin Haldane & Adele Gaffney of Irvine
Royal Academy and Jolanda Kelly and Erin McAuley of St Michael's Academy
|
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The
2019 Queen Kerris-Lee Galloway, and her Maries Molly Scott, Brooke
Chapman, Erin Russell and Aimee McNulty (photo courtesy
of 'Irvine Times')|
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The
2018 Queen Rebecca Hanvey of Greenwood Academy, and the Four Marys India Allan,
Lia Donaldson, Carys Gill and Aimee Robertson|
|
The
2017 Royal party:|
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The
2016 Royal party: |
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Irvine Carters Society was first formed for business and charitable purposes.
Their history is as old as the Incorporated Trades of the Royal Burgh of Irvine.
On the left, 2014 Captain Willie McColl with past Captains Andy Tremble
and Danny Kerr. On the right, the 2014 queen & Marys. In 1753, 106
members subscribed to the 'Box' - this is said to have been the beginning
of their charitable activities which continue to this day.
The
Festival of Marymass dates back to the Middle Ages and the rich pageantry
of this fair draws old Irvinites home in August each year. Visitors too come
from all over to enjoy the atmosphere and are never disappointed.
Interest in this fair appeared to be flagging a little in the late 1920s and credit is given to the then Provost of the Royal Burgh of Irvine, Peter S Clark, for first proposing that a Marymass Queen be chosen and crowned as a part of the ceremony. A meeting took place with the Captain of the Carters, James Sloan and members of his Society and so it was that Miss Martha McHarg, a pupil from Bank Street Primary School, was chosen to be the very first Marymass Queen in 1928. This added greatly to the event. Four local girls were also chosen to be the Queen's four Marys - as it was in the days of Mary, Queen of Scots - and two young boys were chosen to act as pages.
Although, in the 1910s, the trade of horse carter was destined to disappear in an era of motor transport, the Carters' Society survived, and the annual Marymass fair has gone from strength to strength. Entering the 21st century, the Irvine Carters Society is the only surviving carters society. No motorised vehicles are allowed in the parade.
Marymass Saturday - The consumption of alcohol in public places is no longer permitted. This policy, introduced in 2007, makes Marymass Saturday more enjoyable for all those in attendance. There is a designated beer tent on Irvine Moor.
Past Captain Sandy Muir, who died in Feb. 2015. He had helped to organise
46 Marymass festivals. Captain Danny Kerr said "It's because of men like Sandy
that its tradition is still alive today." Described by Brian Donohoe as a
"friendly, likeable chap", Sandy did much of the information gathering for
this website (its technical organiser enjoying many cups of tea in Sandy's
company during the process of getting the content right).
Website originally launched 2002
Designed and since maintained by Ian Dickson, Vindogara
Software