There were a few annual gatherings in Portaferry. The first weekend gathering was the time I first encountered the versatile fiddler Geordie McAdam, a real character. He wasn't part of the gathering, but most of us who were would have heard Geordie playing at a pub session. The last time I saw Geordie was at the bluegrass and old-timey fest at the Ulster American Folk Park in the autumn of 2019. He died of cancer in March 2021 but I have only just learned the news.
http://fonn.online/ms-geordie-mcadam-p1030-215.htm