Lots of summer fun and entertainment at Féile Lughnasa

ONE thing that’s never taken for granted by the communities of Cloghane and Brandon is all that Irish culture has to offer, hence the annual Féila Lúghnasa which takes place this year from July 27 to 31. The festival blends together the pattern day traditions of both parishes which has long been a reason to celebrate in Cloghane and Brandon.

Back in 1995 the stakes were raised when it was decided to merge Sunday’s pattern day in Cloghane with Monday’s pattern day in Brandon. This fusion of dates into one big event has resulted in Féile Lúghnasa becoming a festival of family fun and entertainment that continues to go from strength to strength. The year’s festival will be opened by Cllr Toiréasa Ferris which will get the ball rolling on five days of high summer fun. The popular Eleanor Shanley will be live in concert on Saturday at 7:30pm, music in the local bars, nightly, (and best dressed Teddy!), the ever popular Fancy Dress parade for adults, paddle boarding and Currach display, art workshops with local artist Yunjee, a football tournament and pet shows, to name but a few of the events.

“We have probably more events this year than we ever had and credit must go to our organising committee who have put a lot of time into it. Also our local sponsors who have generously supported Féile Lúghnasa,” said committee member, Tabitha Overy.

In essence, the festival is a celebration of all things local and everything summer has to offer. The ancient festival of Lúghnasa was a time when communities celebrated the coming harvest; a time when homage to the rich and bountiful landscape was expressed. In many ways, all these traits are still present today in Féile Lúghnasa. The annual pilgrimage up Mount Brandon and the blessing of the boats are forms of expression that concur with this native love and respect for landscape.

“We always try to attract as many tourists as we can as the festival is a great way of showing them our culture. People from the locality even return from places like America and Australia to twin their holiday home with the festival. Pattern day has a deep tradition in Ireland and our festival taps into this tradition in a modern way without losing sight of its cultural importance.”

Check out the Féila Lúghnasa Facebook page for more info and updates.