Hook will host ancient Celtic festival to celebrate spring

HOOK Lighthouse will celebrate Imbolc, a Gaelic traditional festival marking the beginning of spring at the start of February.

Imbolc is one of the lesser-known festivals of the ancient Celts, but it was one of the four most important festivals in the Celtic calendar. It is set to be revived and celebrated at the lighthouse on February 2, 3 and 4 which also marks the feast of St. Bridget who is the patron saint of boatmen, sailors, and mariners.

On Friday evening, February 2, multi-platinum selling singer and songwriter Brian Kennedy will host a unique concert in the ancient lighthouse tower.

Getting the weekend’s festivities off to a start on Saturday, February 3, is a sunrise tour of the ancient lighthouse at 7 a.m. with refreshments.

In the afternoon storyteller Baya Salmon-Hawk will offer free storytelling sessions for children telling ancient Celtic tales from 2 pm to 4 pm assisted by Captain Hook.

On Saturday evening at 5 pm, ‘A Fire in the Head’ spoken word event will commence celebrating the turning of the Celtic year. Poetry, stories, and song will be shared by candlelight, all under the theme of fire and water. The story of St. Bridget of Kildare will also be shared. There is an open invitation to storytellers, poets, rappers and all wordsmiths to join the occasion the ‘word’ competition around the theme of Imbolc,

On Sunday a Celtic Goddess Ceremony on the theme of ‘quickening’ is set to take place. The word Imbolc means literally ‘in the belly’ in the old Irish Neolithic language, and is symbolic of the beginning of the season and signals the ‘quickening of the year’.

At 12 noon on Sunday, Baya Salmon-Hawk will perform a Celtic Goddess Ceremony on the theme of ‘quickening within you’ commencing the ceremony at St Dubhan’s Well located at Dubhan’s church ruins and walking to lighthouse into garden cobbled maze, in the centre of maze participants can tie Spring wishes on the Imbolc tree sculpture surrounded by the fire-baskets lighting in maze garden.

On Sunday afternoon from 12 noon until 4 p.m. children’s entertainment fun and games will be on offer with Captain Hook.

For details and ticket booking see www.hookheritage.ie or call 051 397 055.