PLANS are underway for this year’s Marymass Opening Ceremony to be the biggest and best yet.

Last year’s ceremony proved to be a hit and this year is already gearing up to be the same.

The official start of the 12-day Marymass Festival will be on Thursday, August 14, and begin at The Carter’s Statue at Irvine Harbourside with the lighting of the Marymass beacon before some of Irvine’s young athletes head off at 8.25pm in the torch relay where they will visit each of the Ports that mark the boundary of the Ancient and Royal Burgh of Irvine.

This year’s torch relay will end at a new venue - the recently refurbished Bridgegate - where, against the backdrop of the floodlit Trinity Church, a further Marymass Beacon will be lit at around 9.30pm.

This will be followed by the formal announcement of The Captain of Irvine Carters Society for 2014 and the Sashing of the Marymass Queen Elect, Ashleigh McLachlan and her four Maries, Zoe Clark, Eden Frew, Erin Montgomery and Carys Hughes.

At each Port, starting at the Harbourside, one of the current Maries will read aloud this year’s Marymass Opening Message inviting the local townspeople, and particularly young people, to be actively involved in celebrating Marymass as Irvine has done for the past 700 years.

The final reading will be made at Bridgegate by Marymass Queen, Jordyn Leckie prior to her final duty of unveiling the Marymass Flag on the Townhouse after the sashing of the Queen-Elect and her Four Maries.

Pat McPhee, Chair of the Marymass Festival Committee, was on hand this week to receive the brand new 2014 Marymass Programme.

Collecting the programme from Allan Morrison, of Fasprint, she said: “The Opening Ceremony is designed to take Marymass around the town from the Harbourside to the Bridgegate and with stops along the way at the ancient ports, the entry gates of the Royal Burgh.

“It recognises tradition via The Carters but has introduced an active element into the event involving young people as well as the outgoing Marymass Queen and her Four Maries. It also gives everyone a chance to thank the girls for carrying out their duties over the past 12 months and to welcome their successors by way of continuity.

“I would invite local people to come along and be part of this new tradition by being at the Carter’s Statue when this year’s Marymass Beacon is lit, by cheering on the young baton-carriers as they go round the town and by being at the Bridgegate to be part of an ancient ceremony when the Captain of the Carters for the next twelve months is announced and the Marymass Queen-Elect and her Four Maries are presented to the townspeople.”