Action-packed fun festival at Lighthouse

THIS May Bank Holiday weekend Hook Lighthouse is set to shine a light on maritime matters and host a weekend of family fun, while also sharing the important message of ‘safety at sea’.

An action-packed weekend is on offer with free fun and games for all the family and entertainment from the Hook band of pirates.

Younger visitors will have the chance to join in pirate fun and games with Pirate Pat and the Hook Pirates who will host all sorts of Pirate fun and games. The festival will get under way from noon on Saturday with Montague Heritage showcasing the life and times of Medieval Ireland featuring the Norman Knight William Marshal who was responsible for the building of the Hook Lighthouse.

Visitors can join in the medieval games and combat school on offer at their medieval style tent on the lighthouse lawns, plus The Dunbrody Archers will be on hand on Sunday and Monday to offer archery ‘try-outs’. To remember all of those lost at sea, on Sunday afternoon members of the public are invited to the cobbled yard under the lighthouse to take a moment to reflect and remember all those lost at Sea, on Monday at 3 p.m. a Piper’s Lament will be performed by a member of the New Ross Pipe Band.

On Sunday evening a unique sunset and food tour experience will be on offer exclusively to ticket holders at the lighthouse at 7.45 p.m.

Visitors can enjoy a unique opportunity to take a bespoke tour of the lighthouse, and savour the delights of seafood and local food buffet along with Irish Mead and Prosecco in the Lighthouse Watchroom whilst enjoying the majesty of the sun setting over the Celtic Sea.

A limited number of tickets to this adult-only experience are available from www.hookheritage.ie

Also taking place on the Hook Peninsula over the weekend is the annual ‘Hike to the Hook’ event organised by Hook Tourism, walkers will take on a 20km walk along one of Ireland’s most scenic routes from Tintern Abbey to Hook Lighthouse on Saturday.

The Shine A Light festival takes place in conjunction with the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, ‘Shine a Light’ events over the May bank holiday weekend whereby 12 lighthouses around Ireland including Hook Lighthouse will shine a light and celebrate and share the rich tradition and work that they did of carrying out daily.

For all of the festival details in Wexford see www.hookheritage.ie and for details on the Great Lighthouses of Ireland see www.greatlighthouses.com.