On January 25^th, 2025, the Antigonish Highland Society hosted our annual Robert Burns Day event at the Antigonish Legion. It was a night filled with food, friends, and most importantly, a tribute to Scotland’s National Poet! The evening began with a welcome from Chief of the Clans Tyler MacKisoc, followed by the Selkirk Grace, which was read by Operations Manager Dan Cochrane. This led to the thunderous arrival of the bagpipes as Kurtis Bryden piped in the haggis, accompanied by Tyler MacKisoc, Marshall Alistair Hamilton, and Peter MacKenzie. With Leon MacLellan as emcee, the Marshall was tasked with protecting the haggis during its passage. When it arrived, Peter delivered a riveting Ode to the Haggis, a timeless Burns work that never fails to impress. Once the ode was finished and the haggis was piped out of the room, Ed Carty delivered several of Burns most well-known poems, including “A Man’s a Man for a’ That” and “To a Mouse”, as well as some interesting historical facts about the man himself. This was followed by a raucously amusing rendition of the Ode to the Lads and Lassies, delivered by Tyler MacKisoc and AHS President Carol Anne MacKenzie to great fanfare by the audience of more than 60 attendees. As we entered the second hour of the evening, AHS Chair of Culture Duncan MacDonald then provided some information about the history of the Bardic tradition, of which Burns is but a small part in an extensive history. He then discussed how the Bardic tradition continues through many local songwriters, and introduce Antigonish’s own “The Ceilidhmen”, a three-piece band that has become a community favourite in recent years. The Ceilidhmen performed several songs that were written by local bards Kevin Gilfoy, Duncan MacDonald, and Peter MacKenzie, including among others “Don’t go down to the Black Brook Bridge” and “Highland Hearts”. Many of you may be familiar with these tunes, and they have been featured in recent “Ships of 1801” theatre productions. The Ceilidhmen then closed the event with several well-known Celtic tunes as the night wrapped up. It was yet another incredible night celebrating the Great Bard himself, and we can’t wait to see you all again next year!