Festival highlights for 2008

The Saint Patrick’s Festival is a week-long celebration of our national holiday – come join over one million people in Dublin in the party and enjoy a spectacular carnival of music, street theatre, fireworks and fun! For more information visit www.stpatricksday.ie

This is the second year of this fantastic outdoor gourmet food and drink festival – four days of great food, superb drink and outstanding entertainment in the heart of Dublin, beginning on 12th June. 20 of Dublin’s top restaurants will showcase their talents in the Iveagh Gardens in the city centre, offering visitors the chance to sample some of their signature dishes! 
For more information visit www.tastefestivals.ie

Bloomsday is the day in 1904 on which all of the action of James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses, takes place. It is celebrated every year on 16th June. It is traditional for lovers of Joyce to dress up and go out for the day in Dublin, visiting the locations of the book and taking part in readings, walks, re-enactments and other activities which in some way connect with Ulysses, its author and its world. Don’t forget to take a copy of the book with you! For more information visit www.jamesjoyce.ie

Wexford Festival Opera has been drawing committed music fans from far and wide for over half a century: up-and-coming directors and designers, joining forces with the freshest, most dynamic musical talent in the world to create brand new productions; choral and orchestral concerts, lunchtime recitals, talks, stand-up shows, an extensive fringe programme in a setting of genuine charm. The new Wexford Opera House will offer a larger capacity main auditorium (750 seats) with excellent acoustics, a second theatre and many other greatly enhanced facilities. For more information visit www.wexfordopera.com 

The Midsummer Festival, which takes place 19th–30th June, is a multi-disciplinary arts festival which provides an annual platform for artists and arts organisations in the fields of theatre, music, dance, community art, visual art and family entertainment and provides Cork audiences with the chance to see a broad range of the best local, national and international art of all kinds. For more information visit www.corkfestival.com

This is the largest community festival in Europe: ten days and nights of music, concerts, exhibitions, discussions and debate, children’s events and a carnival parade! Now entering its 20th year, this festival was originally set up to highlight the creative and dynamic community of west Belfast. As well as world-renowned acts, Féile an Phobail also promotes local talent - a mix of established and up-and-coming local artistes. For further information, visit www.feilebelfast.com 

Now in its 34th year, the festival was originally founded by a group of classical music enthusiasts. In recent years the festival has broadened its programming remit and now programmes the following art forms; theatre & dance, classical music, jazz/new world & trad, visual art, film, literature, street and a young people’s programme. Underpinning the presentation of events is the commitment to bring work to Kilkenny that would not be seen outside the festival context, and a desire to commission and produce new work from Ireland and abroad. Please visit www.kilkennyarts.ie. 

See a goat being crowned king! Think it’s unusual for a goat to be crowned as a king during a festival….. not in Ireland! Puck Fair is one of the country’s oldest festivals, dating back to 1603, and as well as the parade and coronation ceremony of ‘King Puck’, there are open-air concerts, a traditional horse fair, children’s competitions, street entertainers and dancing. Come join in the fun and see the little town of Killorglin go crazy with over 100,000 visitors partying until late! Dates are 10th–12th August. For further information, visit www.puckfair.ie 

The World Fleadh, a festival celebrating traditional Irish music, takes place between 31st July and 13th August in Portlaoise, Co Laois. This event will showcase Ireland’s most celebrated bands and individual musicians. There will be a mix of large outdoor events as well as smaller events in local theatres and venues. For more information visit www.theworldfleadh.com

What’s it all about? Oysters, of course….. The Galway International Oyster Festival is one of the world’s leading oyster festivals, but even if you haven’t got a taste for slippery molluscs, you can still join in this great festival, which has a reputation as one of the ‘best in the West’! For three days and nights, guests down oysters and gourmet treats, while partying, enjoying oyster tastings, oyster opening competitions and of course, the glamorous oyster gala ball! Dates are 25th–28th September 2008. For more information visit www.galwayoysterfest.com

The 2008 Irish Open Golf will take place once more in the glorious setting of Adare Manor in Co Limerick, and will as always attract a field from the very top ranks of International Golf.

The Irish Open is one of the oldest professional golf championships in the world, dating back to 1927 and previous winners include Thomas Bjorn, Colm Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Irish golfing legend Christy O'Connor.

The Adare course is ideally suited to spectators and the magnificent castle will provide a stunning backdrop to play on a course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr, which is one of Ireland's finest parkland courses and will provide a stern test to those competing.

Early booking of tickets is strongly advised, both for the event itself and for the pro-am which takes place before it. Please find more information at:

http://www.adaremanor.com/adare_manor_media_press 

and http://www.irishopenatadaremanor.com/