Crawley Irish Festival, Southgate Playing Fields – August 24th 2008 from 12pm
Come and visit us at the Carlow stall. We have always had a close relationship with Crawley and this year’s event will be the 13th Annual Festival and is planned as the biggest one yet with two live music stages, an Irish Dance Stage, Set-Dancing and Ceili Marquee, GAA sports, free children’s entertainment and great craic for the family. The Festival is featuring heavily on the younger element of the community with a special children’s entertainment marquee involving games, song and story with particular emphasis on Irish traditions and folklore.
In addition, sport and cultural identity are each featured prominently with GAA Tug-a-war, a funfair,various food and craft stalls and displays with the added attraction of a licensed beer tent. The Crawley Irish Festival is the most diverse event of its kind in the UK with content that will appeal to all. All proceeds will enhance future events and promote culture. Following on from the festival’s success in 2007 the Society now organise Irish Language classes and from the success of the recent Crawley
Fleadh, GAA coaching is now being introduced into both primary and secondary schools in the town.
Plans are also being put in place for musical workshops and talks on various aspects of our Irish Culture at various venues over the coming 12 months. The festival attracts some 8,000 people for the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday.
Entry just £5 for adults and children go free. Get set to paint the town green and enjoy the craic at Crawley.
Find out more on www.celtic-irish.co.uk
London Irish Festival (Roundwood) will be held on 27th July 2008 in Roundwood Park.
The event is to be headlined by the undisputed king of Irish Country, Big Tom and the Mainliners. This is the second year of this music festival and the organisers, a group of Irish business men believe this year’s event will be bigger and better than last.
Ticket prices for the day will be Adults £25 and children under 14 are free
http://www.londonirishfestival.co.uk
Southwark Irish Festival will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year (Sunday, 6th July 2008) and we are very pleased to be part of this celebration. The festival will officially start with Mass at 11.00 a.m. in the Peckham Rye Park, SE15.
As usual the County Carlow Association London (CCAL) will be running a stall so come along to join in. Our Co. Carlow stall will have pride of place and Ned Dunbar our Treasurer will be there with his extensive collection of tools and instruments of bygone years. Why not visit and take a “trip down memory lane”. His stall is back by popular demand and a big crowd pleaser and you will also be able to see Ned and his brother Christy making butter – yes just like we did in good ole days!
Ned will be next to the Co. Carlow tent. On the Irish World Stage they will have special guests Mary Rose, Paddy O’Brien, Declan Nerney and John McNicholl, not forgetting, events that will take place in the Marquee, to name but a few, Celtic Colleens, Kane School of Irish Dancing, Inis Cathaigh Dance Group, Gosport Step Dancers, SICAD Band, etc., with lots of county stalls, food marquees, bar, fun fair, arts and crafts, story telling, tug of war and much more. Why not join us. Please make yourself known to our Members who will be running the Carlow Stall. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
Admission is Free
Find out more about the event at http://www.southwarkirish.com
Or download the PDF poster southwarkirish2008
The big event of the year will be CCAL’s 40th Annual Dinner Dance on the 11th October 2008 at the London Irish Centre.
The Committee expects to be joined by a large crowd of members, friends and
supporters to celebrate all the good work done throughout those forty years, by proud Carlow people for Carlow people. Plans are already well under way to make this a fabulous occasion.
All are welcome to join us. More information available in our Summer newsletter or watch this space.
Find out more by visiting the news section
It seems like no time since last year’s Dinner Dance which was a great success. Thanks to everyone who joined us and helped to make the evening so enjoyable for us all.
Our Dinner Dance this year (which will be our 39th) will take place on Saturday 13th October, as usual, at The Irish Centre, Camden Sq, London, NW1.
More information will be made available closer to the event.
Now in it’s 12th year the Festival attracts some ten thousand people to the town and has built a reputation as a great family day out over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The event showcases some of the best musical talent from Britain and Ireland on three live entertainment stages, showing modern, traditional Irish music and open dance competitions.
This year focuses heavily on the younger element of the community with a special children’s entertainment marquee involving games, song and story with particular emphasis on Irish traditions and folklore. In addition, sport and cultural identity are each featured prominently with GAA sports, a funfair, various food and craft stalls and displays with the added attraction of a licensed beer tent.
The event is run by the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society, which was formed to promote a greater understanding of Celtic and Irish traditions. Further details about the society and previous events can be found online at http://www.celtic-irish.co.uk
County Carlow has always had a close association with the Irish Festival in Crawley and this year is no exception.
As part of the GAA display, Erin’s Own (Bagenalstown) are making their way to Crawley to play a hurling match against a London selection. Erin’s Own Club were the All-Ireland Junior Club finalists in 2005, they won the Carlow Intermediate title in 2006 and are heavily focused on taking the Carlow Senior title this year.
Erin’s Own have already been in touch with the Carlow County Board and have been exempted from any of their match commitments on that weekend. They will be using their trip to the Festival to sharpen themselves up for the campaign at home, whilst taking in Irish Culture at it’s finest. The County Carlow Association London Cup Challenge Trophy together with other fantastic trophy’s are up for grabs for the victors.
Do come along and support the lads in the “Black and White hoops” as they take on London!
As usual the County Carlow Association London (CCAL) will be running a stall on Sunday 1st July at Peckham Rye Common, SE15.
A great line-up of entertainment is in store including our very own, home grown, Richie Kavanagh who will be appearing on the Irish World stage. If you want to help on our stall (and we do need volunteers) please get in touch. Or if you are there just to enjoy the day out, please call to the stall and say hello, you will be most welcome.
County Brighton, the group representing the Irish community along the sussex coast, is helping to make Irish Cricket a big hit this Bank Holiday Monday – May 28th 2007. The Blarney Army are coming Sussex and you can be there too.
Following the fantastic performance of the Irish cricket team – and their fans – in the Caribbean you have a chance to repeat this – but in the more genteel surroundings of Hove, actually.
The County Brighton Irish Society, (CBIS) have booked an exclusive marquee for the Sussex v Ireland match on May 28th, Bank Holiday Monday.
Tickets are £25 each – and for that you’ll get into the County Ground, access to the marquee, a two course buffet and our own private, cash bar. There’ll be barrels of Guinness, bottles of Magners, wines and whiskies of the best etc. – and opportunities for all kinds of shenanigans.
Plus: LIVE MUSIC from “An Poitin Stil”
Any questions, please contact Garvan on 07802 641315 – or another committee member – or call CBIS on 07949 949954. Booking forms can be downloaded from their webiste at http://www.countybrighton.co.uk