set for Heritage Weekend

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Ballintubber will play host to a series of interesting events from Saturday, July 22nd to Sunday, July 23rd as part of Heritage Weekend.

The weekend kicks off at 11 am on the Saturday with a talk in the Old Graveyard with archaeologist Mary Timoney. Then, at 12.30 pm, the official opening of Heritage activities will take place at the Old Schoolhouse complete with street stalls, crafts and entertainment. This will be followed by a visit to the old village forge.

The family fun continues from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Old Schoolhouse when a magician pays a visit to Ballintubber! There will also be face-painting, an ice cream van, and tea and scones. While all this is going on, there will be demonstrations of old-time hay cutting using scythes at 1.30 pm.

At 2 pm, learn more about Ballintubber Castle and grounds by taking part in a guided tour with visiting archaeological students from the United States.

You can also take part in an archaeological dig!

At 3 pm, and if you still have energy left after all that digging, you will have the opportunity to learn more about Ballintubber’s past during a historical village walk which takes in St Brigid’s Well, Old Schoolhouse, Kenny’s Old Bar, and Colm Daly’s fascinating vintage shop.

The highlight of the entire weekend takes place at 7.30 pm on Saturday night live from Ballintubber Castle grounds, as this year’s King and Queen are inaugurated. Admission is €10 for adults and €5 for children and the event includes old time games, medieval refreshments, and a spectacular Sound and Light Show. This event is a fundraiser for Ballintubber Development Association and the committee would be grateful for your support. The weekend winds down on Sunday with the annual Cemetery Mass from 11.30 am and a visit to Willsgrove Hall for music, dancing, and stories at 3 pm.

This year’s highly anticipated Boyle Arts Festival will begin on Thursday evening (July 20th) with a parade through the town, featuring dancers from Victoria Walker Dance School, musicians from Music Generation, and members of the ICA Boyle. This intergenerational collaboration will be a visual feast, ensuring BAF 2023 is launched in style.

Please be sure to come out and line the streets for the parade, which will start on the Crescent at 7.15 pm, before winding its way through the town to King House.

Boyle Arts Festival and the Visual Art Exhibition ‘Connections’ will then be officially opened by Academy Award nominated actor Brendan Gleeson, in the grounds of King House at 8 pm.

This year’s Visual Art exhibition has been selected by leading Irish artist Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh, who brings a new energy and approach to the festival. The theme ‘Connections’ will be manifested through a pride in place and landscape, ideas, diverse artistic approaches, and by linking newer generations of emerging artists with more established senior artists.

The ten-day Festival programme includes an impressive mix of live music, visual arts, drama, comedy, film, interviews, parades, free events, workshops, storytelling, children’s events, readings, guided tours, free exhibitions, an art trail, multicultural events and much more!

Some of the big names in the live music genre include ‘The Undertones’, Jerry Fish, Luka Bloom, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Zoe Conway and John McIn- tyre. There will be performances from soprano Celine Byrne, Ireland’s finest U2 tribute band ‘Rattle & Hum’, the acapella vocal group ‘Ardú’, and music from ‘Iona Sound’ and ‘The Men Who Knew Too Much’. There are spoken word and literary events in store too, with Carole Coleman, Eileen Dunne, Cauvery Madhavan, Kathy Donaghy, Ollie Grace, Vona Groarke, Michael Mulvey, The Moylurg Writers and Stephen Murphy.

Be sure to come along and join in the Family Day in the pleasure grounds on Sunday, July 23rd. Your children can join in with Mud Bugs, take part in the Silent Disco, and get free facepainting by Fierce Fun Faces or Yoga with Tanja. Adults meanwhile are welcome to relax, recharge, and regulate with Yoga and Sound. There will be wonderful dance performances too.

For details on all events/performers, please visit boylearts. com, phone 089 9722477, email info@boylearts.com, or follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.