The village of Carrig, the venue for the Phil Murphy Memorial Weekend, lies towards the centre of the historic and picturesque parish of Carrig-on-Bannow. The known history of Bannow can be traced back to pre-Christian times.

Bannow lived its most famous moment with the coming of the Normans. In 1169, the first Norman Invasion force landed in the well protected harbour at Bannow Bay. It was on this spot that the conquerors built the town of Bannow, which was a thriving European port and market city by Middle Age European standards, until late in the 16th century, when the silting of the harbour stopped the coming and going of the frequent ships.

Thus the city did not just die, but gradually disappeared as well, giving rise to the many legends that have grown in the area about Bannow’s buried city. A strong cultural sense matches this historic drama of the area with many preserved castles, stone coffins and the like spread throughout the area.

An interesting shrine to the locals’ love of the ocean is the well known Sea-Shell house, with its wonderful designs, that can be found on the cliff, facing south to the sea at Cullenstown. The cultural awareness of the area come full circle over the past quarter of a century with the strong revival in the local schools, and with teenage groups, of traditional Irish music and dancing.

Welcome to Carrig-on-Bannow!