The first St Patricks’s Birthplace Festival is hoped to be the start of a new tradition with plans already being developed for next year.

Muncaster Parish Council’s inaugural St Patrick’s Birthplace Festival brought the historic village of Ravenglass to life on Saturday, March 21.

Hundreds of visitors and locals gathered to celebrate the intriguing legend that St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was in fact born on Cumbrian soil.

The village buzzed as an estimated 500 or more attendees passed through during the day, and the village green was swarming with people enjoying rare March sunshine and the fresh sea air of the Cumbrian coast between sets.

At the heart of the celebration lies a delightfully cheeky piece of local folklore, the claim that St Patrick was born right here in Ravenglass, before being kidnapped by Irish pirate raiders who carried him across the sea.

Commenting on the success of the festival, John Chapman, Chair of Muncaster Parish Council, said: “We are thrilled at how well the festival came together, and by the huge support it attracted from across West Cumbria and beyond.

“Our mix of brilliant acts included both local favourites and some of the best from across northern England; there truly was something for everyone.

“We hope this is the first of an annual tradition, and we are determined to come back even stronger next year.”

The free, all-day festival saw twelve live music acts perform across four village venues with The Inn at Ravenglass, The Pennington Hotel, The Ratty Arms, and Muncaster Parish Hall all hosting events.

Each of the venues embraced the spirit of the occasion with specially curated food and drink menus, and Fodder brought their hyper-local barbecue.

Generously sponsored by HyperfastGB, and supported by Muncaster Estate, all performances were free to attend, with guests free to wander between venues at their leisure throughout the day, soaking up the festive atmosphere across the village.

The festival opened with a moment that is sure to become a cherished local tradition.

The world premiere of the brand new Ravenglass St Patrick Anthem, written and performed by parish councillor Joshua Payne, with the mixed blessing of support from the rest of Muncaster Parish Council.

While historians may debate the legend, the warmth of Saturday’s festival was beyond dispute.

Muncaster Parish Council has expressed its heartfelt thanks to all twelve performing acts, the four host venues, the village community, and headline sponsor HyperfastGB, without whose support the event would not have been possible.

The success of this inaugural festival means that they are already exploring the intention to bring this back as an annual event.