GET ON BOARD OUR CAROUSEL OF FUN AND JOIN IN THE NATIONAL ST. PATRICK’S FESTIVAL CELEBRATIONS
Press release
Wednesday 17th February 2010
FRIDAY 12TH – WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2010 www.stpatricksfestival.ie
St. Patrick’s Festival at its launch today, Wednesday 17th February put out the call to dust off those winter blues and get on-board our carousel of Festival fun to be found at this year’s fiesta, taking place from Friday 12th – Wednesday 17th March.
Celebrating its 15th year, St. Patrick’s Festival is not only an occasion for Irish people and tourists to mark our National holiday in March, but also returns an estimated €58.3 million to the Irish economy. Over one million people are expected to take part in Festival events over the six days and nights in celebration of our Irish-ness, so not only does St. Patrick’s Festival herald the Spring but its bring some much-needed free entertainment to our streets.
Friday evening (12th March) the Festival opens with a programme of film, comedy and visual arts for all, in various venues around the city. Wake up early on Saturday morning (13th March) and take to the streets of Dublin with all the other wannabe detectives taking part in the annual St. Patricks Festival Treasure Hunt – an energetic way for mind and body to explore and enjoy our Capital City. Saturday night (13th March) also plays host to the much-loved fireworks spectacular, The National Lottery Skyfest in Limerick City. Thousands of awesome fireworks will light up the skies over the majestic Treaty city of Limerick with over 50,000 people expected to come out for the fireworks and this exceptional night of entertainment.
For those taking a trip to Limerick, the city will be in celebration with its own Festival programme; featuring street theatre & carnival, markets and topped off with an International bands parade on Sunday 14th. This is the third time the event will have been staged outside of Dublin; Waterford in 2009 and Cashel in 2008.
Back in Dublin on Sunday (14th March), Big Day Out, a festival within a festival, opens on Merrion Square, featuring the cream of street theatre and performance in the heart of Georgian Dublin – a must for visitors and families alike, you never know what kind of characters you might find roaming around the historic square!
The Irish are world renowned for our ‘gift of the gab’, never shy in voicing an opinion or two and this year St. Patrick’s Festival offers two great platforms to exercise these talents! The Festival is staging two challenging symposiums: Youth Voices: ‘Irish Youth in a Borderless World’, in association with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) taking place on Monday 15th March in The Ark, Temple Bar and then on Tuesday 16th March, Voices: An evening of BIG Ideas, what has Ireland done for the World?, is hosted by The Dubliner magazine as part of St. Patrick’s Festival in Tripod, Harcourt Street.
You can immerse yourself in Irish culture and craic throughout the Festival by joining in free Irish language and culture events, all as part of GaelSpraoi, the Irish language “beaganín” Festival - check out the Festival website www.stpatricksfestival.ie for locations and times.
Dublin’s Cultural Quarter Temple Bar will play host to an inspiring visual art trail, running throughout the Festival - “Shop If You Can, Look If You Want”. This exhibition will showcase the existing public art in the Temple Bar area and also platform innovative new Irish artists and their work as part of the festival. Curated in conjunction with The Temple Bar Cultural Trust this event is an opportunity of visitors and Dubliners alike to experience some of our finest urban artists as part of the Festival celebrations.
For the more adventurous, take to the streets and dance at the Festival Céilí on St. Patrick’s Eve (16th March). Crowds are expected to get “jiggy” on St. Stephen’s Green from 4.00pm so get the afternoon off work come out and “bust some Irish Ceilí moves”!
As the saying going “when you’re out, you’re out”, so keep the Festival fever going into St. Patrick’s Day and join us again as we roll out the green carpet on Wednesday 17th March for the world’s No. 1 St. Patrick’s Day Parade – a raucous 3km long street celebration. Get your “green” on and be part of the fun on the streets of Dublin for the number one St. Patricks Parade in the world. Thousands are anticipated to be cheering on the city streets and many millions more tuning in to the RTE 1 broadcast on TV and live streaming on-line. The Parade pageants are all joined on the day by marching bands from Ireland, the USA, Germany and Austria. Pageant companies coming from the four corners of the country; LUXe in Donegal, Spraoi in Waterford, Buí Bolg in Wexford and City Fusion in Dublin to name but a few, have been designing, building and choreographing their pieces in the last months in preparation for the big day on Wednesday 17th March.
The Festival finale on St. Patrick’s Night (17th March) is a performance by the cream of contemporary traditional music in Ireland today, Dónal Lunny in “A Celebration of Irish Voices” at the National Concert Hall and Kíla at the Olympia. “A Celebration of Irish Voices”, a premiere performance by renowned Irish traditional musician, Dónal Lunny promises to be a truly uplifting Irish traditional music experience in our National Concert Hall. Tickets are priced from €18/€25/€29/€35 and are available from www.nch.ie Tel: 01 417 0000.
Speaking at the 2010 St. Patrick’s Festival launch, Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism said: “Now in its 15th year, the St Patrick’s Festival provides us with the opportunity to enjoy the best contemporary celebration of Irish music, heritage, culture and community, and encompasses a feeling of what it means to be Irish - and on most continents to be ‘honorary Irish’ - for the day. St Patrick’s Festival 2010 is a spectacle of fun and entertainment culminating with the traditional St Patrick’s Day parade through our great capital city. This important national celebration is good for Ireland and particularly good for our tourism industry. The positive media coverage of the Festival is seen in our key international tourism markets at a time of the year when many people are planning annual holidays. One again this year, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are planning to bring a significant number of overseas media to Ireland for the event.”
“This year the festival celebrates its 15th Anniversary and despite the tough economic climate, we are confident of presenting an exciting St. Patrick’s Festival in 2010 with events to appeal to Irish people and visitors alike. “Whether it’s going to the Parade on St. Patrick’s Day, watching the National Lottery Skyfest in Limerick, joining in the Festival Céilí, practising cupla-focal at Gaelspraoi, family-fun at Big Day Out, exploring Dublin-city on the Treasure Hunt or experiencing the very best in traditional Irish music with Dónal Lunny in The National Concert Hall, we believe we have something to suit all interests and ages. We are calling for everyone to find something for them in our programme and get on board the carousel of fun and most of all make St. Patrick’s Festival yours!” commented Susan Kirby, CEO St. Patrick’s Festival.
St. Patrick’s Festival attracts more than one million people to its events each year, including 50,000 overseas visitors, making it the ideal showcase for modern Ireland. The Festival each year is the best contemporary celebration of Irish music, heritage, culture and community and encompasses a feeling of what it means to be or just feel Irish!
Don’t miss your chance get on the Festival Carousel of fun and be part of the biggest and best celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, in Dublin over six days so the fun lasts even longer! The full St. Patrick’s Festival programme of events and activities can be found on www.stpatricksfestival.ie follow us on Twitter @stpatricksfest or be our friend on Facebook Patricks Fest.
You can also download the Festival App by texting PATSFEST to 51315* or visit The App Store for the free iPhone App* Cost of text is standard rate text (max 14 cent). Free iPhone Ap on iTunes App Store.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Alison Kelly / Paula Donaghy
Insight Consultants
0861955722 / 085 121 8495
alison@insightconsultants.ie / press@stpatricksfestival.ie / paula@insightconsultants.ie
NOTES TO EDITORS:
• Festival and Performer images are available to download for reproduction purposes from www.stpatricksfestival.ie/press
• Interviews with performers and Festival staff can be arranged via the Festival press team as above
• Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen will be available for interview at the 1.30pm on Wednesday 17th at the St. Patrick’s Festival launch announcement in The Garden of Remembrance.
• Susan Kirby, CEO of St. Patrick’s Festival and will be also available for interview.
• St. Patrick’s Festival is kindly supported by Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council, The National Lottery, Marks & Spencer, The Irish League of Credit Unions, Foras na Gaeilge, Discover Science & Engineering, Aggreko and The Arts Council.
• The Official charity partner to this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival is The ISPCC.
• The St. Patrick’s Festival Parade Grand Marshal will be announced in late February.
FULL PROGRAMME LISTING - ST. PATRICK’S FESTIVAL 2010
• Festival and Performer images are available to download for reproduction purposes from www.stpatricksfestival.ie/press
• Interviews with performers and Festival staff can be arranged via the Festival press team as above
• Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen will be available for interview at the 1.30pm on Wednesday 17th at the St. Patrick’s Festival launch announcement in The Garden of Remembrance.
• Susan Kirby, CEO of St. Patrick’s Festival and will be also available for interview.
• St. Patrick’s Festival is kindly supported by Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council, The National Lottery, Marks & Spencer, The Irish League of Credit Unions, Foras na Gaeilge, Discover Science & Engineering, Aggreko and The Arts Council.
• The Official charity partner to this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival is The ISPCC.
• The St. Patrick’s Festival Parade Grand Marshal will be announced in late February.
FULL PROGRAMME LISTING - ST. PATRICK’S FESTIVAL 2010
Comedy
Friday 12th March and Saturday 13th March
Comedy@The Festival
Where: The Laughter Lounge, Eden Quay, Dublin 1
Time: Doors 7pm, Show 8.30pm
Tickets: €25, boxoffice@laughterlounge.com / groups@laughterlounge.com
Join us for Comedy @ the Festival where we have a feast of comedians from the renowned Father Ted Show! Featuring Joe ‘Father Damo’ Rooney, Patrick ‘Eoin McLove’ McDonnell and Kevin ‘Father Cave’ Gildea. Nights will be themed with venue and staff in fancy dress and rinks like Mrs Doyle’s Craggy Island iced tea. Ah, ya will will ya will!
Family
Saturday 13th March
St. Patrick’s Festival Treasure Hunt, Dublin City Centre
Venue: Registration at City Hall, Dame Street
Time: Registration 10.00am – 1.00pm
Free
In Association with Q102
The St. Patrick’s Festival Treasure Hunt is a fun-filled free event for all ages, providing a unique opportunity for all the family to explore or rediscover and enjoy the city of Dublin. Solve the clues, compete for spot prizes, complete the route and become the cleverest, fastest or best dressed team. Bonus questions along the route provided by the Irish Architecture Foundation. Crack the clues and conundrums that lie concealed in the coolest cultural venues throughout the capital. A really unique way to get to know Ireland’s capital city! You can pre-register on www.stpatricksfestival.ie and beat the queues on the day.
Spectacle National Lottery Skyfest will light up the skies over the majestic treaty city of Limerick. King John’s Castle provides a stunning backdrop to this year’s breathtaking fireworks display where dazzling colours and explosive effects will be unleashed over one of Ireland’s most well-known and loved rivers, the River Shannon. And all this choreographed to an amazing soundtrack curated by 2FM’s Jenny Green. A pyrotechnic extravaganza not to be missed For those taking a trip to Limerick, the city will be in celebration with a full programme of activity for the Festival week.
Family
Music You can immerse yourself in Irish culture and craic throughout the Festival but for the more adventurous, dance in the streets at the Festival Céilí – a contemporary outdoor celebration of traditional Irish dance. Taking place on 16th March, St. Patrick’s Eve, it will be an outdoor celebration of all things Irish and open to all – even those with two left feet!
So get out your clogs, wellies or stilettos and join in Ireland leading musicians and dancers in setting the street hopping.
Culture & Craic On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, The Dubliner magazine and St. Patrick’s Festival invite you to a lively discussion as a panel of outspoken Irish personalities present reasons the world has cause to salute the Irish on 17th March.
In a unique free event you will take part in an entertaining examination of the people, achievements, innovations and historical turning points that came from this island. Expect forthright opinions as leading commentators challenge the traditional view of Ireland, demolish and rebuild reputations and invite heckles from the audience.
A limited amount of free tickets will be available for this unique gathering by registering on The Dubliner magazine's website at www.thedubliner.ie
Family With the Parade theme in 2010 being ‘Extraordinary World’, the much anticipated annual favourite, the festival Parade features newly commissioned, highly original and inventive street theatre troupes, artists, giant puppetry, dancers and marching bands from Ireland and across the globe. Thousands are anticipated to be cheering on the city streets and many millions more tuning in to the RTE 1 broadcast on TV and live streaming on-line.
Music To mark the evening of St. Patrick’s Day, renowned Irish trad folk musician Dónal Lunny will curate and participate in A Celebration of Irish Voices. The evening will feature two of the most important choirs in the country Cór Cúl Aodh and Cór Taobh A’ Leithéid along with performances by Róisín Elsafty and Eithne Ní Chatháin.
Expect a colourful and uplifting Irish traditional music experience and an unforgettable night of music and song.
Music Another musical festival finale - Kíla are one of Ireland's most innovative and exciting bands. The seven members come from different musical backgrounds and share a passion to create great music with an ability to absorb influences from across the globe. With its roots in traditional Irish, it features a strong percussive like singing and gorgeous melodies driven by a serious rhythmical undercurrent.
Cultúr & Craic Scoth na siamsaíochta! Féile lán de scléip is spraoi, neart imeachtaí saor in aisce do ghach aois ghrúpa, toighis agus cumas teanga. Cabaret Craiceáilte, Puball Gaeilge, craic agus siamsaíocht, ar fud na cathrach. Bain sult as an teanga agus an fhéile!
Gaelspraoi, St Patrick’s Festival’s Irish language celebration, an explosion of Irish-language events and entertainment, with lots of free events for all ages.
Family Make Dublin yours this St. Patrick’s Festival and enjoy the City at Play with Chills, Thrills and Near-Spills. A firm Festival favourite the spine-tingling Festival Funfair will lighten up both north and south side of the river Liffey alike with top-notch carnival fairgrounds, gripping high-flying attractions as well as the much-tamer kiddie rides. And don’t miss the breath-taking views of our Fair City from the 150-foot high Jubilee Wheel.
Visual Arts Dublin’s Cultural Quarter Temple Bar will play host to an inspiring visual art trail “Shop If You Can Look If You Want”. This exhibition will showcase some of the existing public art, spaces and places in the Temple Bar area, and also platform 5 innovative Irish artists and their work. Curated in conjunction with The Temple Bar Cultural Trust this event is an opportunity for visitors and Dubliners alike to experience some of our finest urban artists as part of the Festival celebrations.
Film
Walks & Talks
Photography Competition!
Saturday 13th March
The National Lottery Skyfest
Limerick City Centre
Where: Limerick City Quays
Time: 6.30–8.30pm
Live on RTÉ @ 7.30pm
Sponsored by The National Lottery and Media Partner RTE 2FM
Free
Sunday 14th March
Big Day Out; A Festival within A Festival
Venue: Merrion Square, Dublin
Time: 12 noon – 6pm
In association with FM104
Free
A festival within a festival, featuring the cream of street theatre, performance and music in the heart of Georgian Dublin. With acts from Ireland and around the world, Big Day Out is a must for visitors and families alike! Merrion Square will become an oversized playground for both children and adults for the 2010 Big Day Out. With quirky activities in the park and on the streets, we guarantee a fun-filled day for all the family.
Tuesday 16th March
St. Patrick’s Festival Céilí
Venue: St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin
Time: 4pm-7pm
Free
Tuesday 16th March
Voices: An Evening of Big Ideas – What has Ireland done for the world?
Venue: Tripod, Dublin
Time: 6.30pm
In association with The Dubliner Magazine
Free Event
Wednesday 17th March
St. Patrick’s Festival Parade, City Centre
Venue: Starting from Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Time: 12 noon
Free Event
Wednesday 17th March
A Celebration of Irish Voices, curated by Dónal Lunny
Venue: National Concert Hall, Dublin
Time: 8pm
Admission: From €18-€35
Tickets www.nch.ie Tel: 01 417 0000
Supported by the Arts Council, Traditional Arts and in association with Raidió na Life
Wednesday 17th March
Kila
Venue: The Olympia, Dublin
Time: 8pm
Tickets www.ticketmaster.ie
GaelSpraoi
Ongoing throughout the Festival
Venue: City centre locations, Dublin
In Association with Foras Na Gaeilge & Spin103.8
Admission: Varied
Full Programme Information on www.stpatricksfestival.ie
City at Play Funfairs
Venue: Merrion Square & All around the City, Dublin
Date: Friday 12th – Wednesday 17th March
Tickets Varied
Shop If You Can, Look If You Want – Art Trail
Ongoing throughout the Festival
Venue: Various Locations, Temple Bar
Date: Friday 12th – Wednesday 17th March
Times varied – visit www.stpatricksfestival.ie
In association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust
Free Event
Film @ The Festival
Visit the St. Patrick’s Festival website for further information on our diverse 2010 Film @ The Festival programme which includes an exclusive preview of the new John Carney (ONCE) film ZONAD (www.zonad.ie) on Saturday 13th which goes on general release on March 17th. We also have the firm family favourite FLIGHT OF THE DOVES (1971) as part of the Family programme at the IFI on Sunday 14th and an insightful look at stories from the markets area of Dublin in the documentary BANANAS ON THE BREADBOARD at The Lighthouse.
There are plenty of interesting walks and talks through-out the festival including; the Architectural Tour of Dublin, in association with the Irish Architectural Foundation and In the Footsteps of St. Patrick.
Get snapping this St. Patrick’s Festival and register on www.fujipix.ie today to receive 20 free prints of your choice. Enter the Festival Photo Competition by emailing your favourite photo to photography@stpatricksfestival.ie to win one of three FUJIFILM FinePix Digital Cameras. Visit www.stpatricksfestival.ie for more details.