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Irvine, Scotland, became a Royal Burgh in 1372 with the harbour became a major West of Scotland seaport. Today, Irvine harbour is the main site of the Scottish Maritime Museum, and the official home of the North Ayrshire Council, several major industries, Irvine is also the home of the active Burns Club
The long-established Irvine Burns Club, founded in 1826, maintains a Robert Burns Museum in the town where the poet Robert Burns lived and worked in 1781-82, Two of the founders of Irvine Burns Club
in 1826 were men who had known the poet the museum is open four times a week from April to September, and weekly on Saturdays during the winter. In the 18th century Irvine was the largest burgh in
Ayrshire The seven trade guilds formed the Incorporated Trades in 1646, Irvine's burgh status ended in 1975 with local government. In August there is a week long Festival called the Marymass. The
Festival of Marymass dates back to the Middle Ages the rich pageantry of this fair which draws old Irvinites home in August, with Visitors who come from all over to enjoy the atmosphere. A Marymass
Queen is chosen and crowned as a part of the ceremony and Four local girls are chosen to be the Queen's four Marys as it was in the days of Mary, Queen of Scots along with two boys chosen to act as
pages for the festival
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