THOUSANDS DESCEND FOR A MARITIME CARNIVAL
FIFTH CELEBRATION OF THE BOYNE PROVES TO BE ANOTHER MAJOR SUCCESS.
WHAT a weekend - and how this year’s Irish Maritime Festival showed off Drogheda at its supreme best - and RTE’s Nationwide were on hand to tell the country - there’s no place better than the Boyneside.
Not only was the weekend about the daytime events, the pirates and Peter Pan, sword fighters and cannons, but music and entertainment abounded at night, with the likes of the Carolan Brothers lighting up the place.
The organisers can rightly stake claim to ’having a festival that can grow and expand even more after a great five years.
This year the layout changed and that added to the experience and even when it rained, there were places to nip in out of the showers.
But festivals like this are about community as well, and people got to sample all aspects of local life.
The ever necessary lifeboats greeted people entering, partnered by the Game of Thrones experience, running for the past year on the canal. They offer a great look at the Boyne from the water and revealed that fairies have taken up residence on the canal inside the past year. They have more details!
Across the way, details of an eagerly awaited event on Laytown and Bettystown beach come September. The area hosts the European Sandyachting championships from Sept 9-15, a wonderful sight indeed.
The Boyne Navigation crew were also out in force and as for leisure persuits, everything from Aura to Funtasia were on site, not forgetting the Virgin Media silent movies.
These events also provide the chance to sample local wares and drink, and it’s only at times like this you realise what’s out there.
Slane whiskey, Jack Cody’s beer, Dunany flour just some of those on show.
Sarsfields Living Room was a big attraction, Ryan Mutter’s brilliant art, in association with the Amergin Artists, burgers, coffee, fighting Normans, blood pressure monitors with Dr Pixie, the variety of attractions just went on and on.
While unfortunately there was no Bagfull of Songs this year, the Purple Sessions did provide a wonderful backdrop to the viaduct and musical delights beamed out for hours.
But all these events don’t run without many parts - this year as ever - the number of volunteers on site quite remarkable.
Grainne Berrill and the team at the Louth Volunteer Centre were everywhere as usual. And the various medical and rescue services were also on hand all weekend to make sure there were no issues.
While the rain tried to dampen spirits on Sunday, a fine crowd still flocked to the riverside and they were entertained right up to the finish .
The last act on the main stage were Kidkast and what a performance from Tracey Martin’s crew.
The rain almost held off until the final stages, but fittingly, it began to fall as the supreme voice of Beth Murtagh hailed ‘It’s raining, it’s pouring’.