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IRELAND'S leading game fair, the Irish Country Lifestyle and Medieval Festival, has once again chosen Shane's Castle, Antrim, as its perfect Ulster venue and is expected to draw crowds of over 30,000 to the region over Midsummer weekend, June 21 and 22.

The breathtaking Shane's Castle venue will be the idyllic setting for a magnificent programme of events, attractions and exhibitions that will dazzle sporting and non-sporting visitors alike.

This year family fun is even higher on the agenda alongside the more serious business of the new All Ireland Game Fair Championship heats in hunting, fishing, shooting country sports.

Whilst the competitive arena remains at the heart of the event with unrivalled competition structures and the largest prize funds ever seen at any game fair in Ireland, a fabulous feast of fun, fantasy, food, and family entertainment is promised for all.

It's certainly the place to be if you have children, whatever their ages. The amazing and highly authentic Medieval Festival is making an even grander entrance this year and the loudest cheers of delight are usually from the kids (and those on the hunt for a knight in shining armour and chain mail).

The fearsome Welsh mercenaries of Drudion will return alongside the dashing Border Reviers, Knights of Northern Period Productions and Muzzle Loaders to excite the crowds with displays of firepower, swordplay, pike work, archery and jousting in the main arena.

Young and old can step back in time at the interactive Medieval Village which has been greatly extended this year to include village life through the ages, arms handling, medieval cookery, medieval music by top international and Irish groups, fire eating, juggling, arms making and coin making by Grunal Moneta.

A welcome new attraction is the medieval market featuring a range of authentic medieval merchandise for all members of the family to buy into the medieval lifestyle from food to clothing and medieval weaponry.

Another great new addition is the large Ribena Happy Area which boasts activities of all sorts to keep kids entertained for hours including a Blackcurrant Growing activity area with fruit bushes as prizes, fruit pies and juice sampling stalls, recycling activity area and a main games area where you can try Berry Bobbing, a Berry Shy and Hit the Berry games and more.

The Fine Food and Drinks Pavilion will be one of the finest and most lavish seen at any fair this year with a mouth watering selection of Irish and international delicacies.

Ever tried Capercaille, a large type of Grouse? Well known fish and game cookery chef Emmett McCourt (no mean angler and shot as well) will provide game and fish cookery demonstrations. Throughout the festival, hungry mouths can also choose from a wide array of catering options at affordable prices ranging from quality burgers and chips to succulent hog roast.

For those in search of some country lifestyle retail therapy, the huge tented village of trade stands includes not only the largest display of guns and tackle in Northern Ireland but all sorts of wonderful products for any member of the family, including fine furnishing and 'country chic' fashion.

Indeed, clothing is a cut above the rest this year with the special appearance of master cutter and tailor to the rich and famous, Desmond Merrion. With a history of providing suits for some very illustrious clients throughout the world, Desmond is famous for creating the world's most expensive hunting suit, a snip at £30,000!

Desmond will bring his tailoring skills to Ireland to provide a masterclass in fine tailoring and you can watch him cut and hand-make superb clothing on the Irish Countrysports and Country Life magazine stand.

The prestigious game fair will also host Northern Ireland's major hound show; carriage driving competitions and displays, the Irish Falconry Championships, ferretting and stickmaking displays, international gundogs, terriers and lurchers, the World Of Owls Conservation display, hovercraft, laser shooting, the best game fisplay in Ireland, dog agility competitions and displays, police dog displays and a gundog group show.

There's so much to do and see you'll want to go on both days!
For further details, call 028 44615416 or visit the websites www.irishgameandcountryfair.com or www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com