Moyvane putting final touches to 25th anniversary Village Festival programme

MOYVANE is looking back with great fondness over its village festival history as it prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the event in a massive weekend of music, song, dance, fine food, spooky fun and much, much more.

“The first festival was organised by Moyvane Development Association in 1993 and over the intervening years many different events have been hosted such as a massive Céilí with the Tulla Céilí Band, various comic plays, most recently with The Boro Players,” organiser Bobby Stack recalled. “In 1998 the first Rose of Newtownsandes Competition was incorporated into the festival. Later this became the Queen of the Boro. Various concerts were on down through the years including PJ Murrihy, The Dublin City Ramblers, Mark Leen aka Emerald Elvis and comedy with Conal Gallen,” he said, amid many other fond memories.

“This is our 25th Festival and to mark this special year we have draped the Community Centre and will hold two of the main events there this year. The ‘Boro Buffet’ is a four-course meal catered by Kingdom Kitchen Catering with bar facilities and

Saturday night.

“On Sunday night we are having our first barn dance again in the Community Centre with full bar ‘ bucking bronco’ and a photo booth. Novelty spot prizes on the night for best dancers and best ‘ turned out’,” Bobby promised.

The festival kicks off this Friday night with the rambling house in the Marian Hall at 8.30pm.

Sunday sees the vintage display take place from 12noon in the Community Centre grounds. The craft fair and farmers’ market also takes place in the Community Centre from 12noon. These events will be finishing at 3.30pm to accommodate the Barn Dance being set up.

A dog show will also take place on Sunday at 1pm in the Church car park with a kiddies’ tractor run in the school grounds at 1.15pm. At 1.30pm in the sportsfield is the family fun day. The festival finishes on Monday with the North Kerry Harriers hunt leaving the village at 12noon, followed by a Halloween Fancy Dress party for children in the Marian Hall. live music and dancing on