12 midnight Monday 17th February 2014
The Fine Gael Group supports and commends the work of St Patrick’s Festival Committee.
Since its inception in the mid 1990’s by the then Minister Enda Kenny, the Festival Committee has turned what was a 3 hour procession of commercial floats (many just company vehicles) into an all round weekend event for all the family
The Festival Committee has succeeded in broadening the Festival’s appeal:
· Walkers will be attracted by the “Footsteps of St Patrick” walking tours
· Families enjoy the Treasure Hunt – a fun-filled, novel and free way of learning about Dublin’s key landmarks
· Competitive athletes cannot resist the opportunity to clock a “personal best” on the 5K road-run through the city centre
· ‘I Love My City’ is the Festival’s distinctive culture programme, celebrating Irish culture and showcasing Dublin’s rich, vibrant heritage during the national holiday festivities. There were 5 pages worth of cultural events in 2013 – attached.
· And of course there is the Parade, loved by Dublin families and tourists alike.
Successive Lord Mayors have worked hard to create the right environment and atmosphere in which the Festival could flourish; for example it was Michael Conaghan TD as Lord Mayor that engaged with Off-Licenses, reaching agreement that they do not open until late in the afternoon on St Patricks Day; an agreement that remains in force today.
The St. Patricks Festival Committee has the full support of the Fine Gael Group on Dublin City Council as it faces into its busiest 4 weeks of the year and continues to expand and develop the annual centre-piece of Dublin’s festival calendar.
Issued on behalf of the Fine Gael group on Dublin City Council
Councillor Naoise O Muiri 086 8270408 Councillor Gerry Breen 087 2567811
Former Lord Mayor 2012/3 Former Lord Mayor 2010/1
See below for the full listing of ‘I Love My City’ cultural events for 2013:
I Love My City 2013
Programme of Events
I Love My City is the Festival’s distinctive culture programme, celebrating Irish culture and showcasing Dublin’s rich, vibrant heritage, during the national holiday festivities.
The 2013 programme consists of a series of 16 FREE ‘headline’*events, produced by the Festival, in collaboration with cultural institutions and partners. Both established and emerging artists from a variety of disciplines including poetry, dance, visual art, filmmaking, history, song, literature, music and theatre will feature in these special one-off shows, presented in the beautiful surrounds of some of Ireland’s most prestigious cultural venues.
Citywide, our cultural institutions and venues will also be staging a variety of activities and events, to be enjoyed throughout the Festival. See all of the events taking place during the Festival at www.stpatricksfestival.ie
*Admission is free to the series of ‘headline’ events. Pre-registration at www.stpatricksfestival.ie is essential.
Returning
Date: Thursday 14th-Monday 18th March
Where: The National Library – The Foyer, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Time: Opens 9.30am daily
Inspiring installation, Returning, is a collaboration between MD&B, landscape architects and artist Aoife Challis, telling the stories of those returning for The Gathering 2013.
Through the stories, hear their motivations for leaving and returning, discover whether or not Ireland is still home for them and why it is a place that warrants returning, even after generations.
Visit this installation to see portraits woven amongst trees and hear the stories through wireless earphones.
No registration necessary.
Trip-Nós
Date: Thursday 14th March
Where: The Culture Box, East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Time: 6.30pm-7.30pm
Trip-nós – it’s disco but not as you know it!
Experience a unique dance experiment mixing Ireland’s indigenous sean-nós dance with contemporary disco-inspired moves.
In this special participatory event, four dancers bring you, the audience, on a journey where two styles collide, resulting in an outrageous 80s themed dance-off!
Dress to impress.
Curated by Sibeal Davitt, one of Ireland’s leading sean-nós dancers.
Dublin Made Me – Poems of the City
Date: Thursday 14th March
Where: The National Library – The Reading Room, Dublin 2
Time: 6.30pm-7.30 pm
Exploring our capital city through its poetry and song, Pat Boran, poet and broadcaster and Gerard Smyth, poet and poetry editor of The Irish Times, present a selection of poems and lyrics that tell their story of Dublin.
They will be accompanied by traditional Irish singer, Helen Diamond.
Pat Boran has published five collections of poems, most recently The Next Life (2012), and his New and Selected Poems (2007) has been translated into a number of languages.
The Wonder of Snakes
Date: Friday 15th & Saturday 16th March
Where: Natural History Museum, Merrion Street, Dublin 2
Time: Drop in sessions from 11am-4pm
A family event for all ages celebrating the wonder of snakes!
Come see The Herpetological Society with their live snakes, listen to storyteller Jack Lynch telling slimey stories or join Martina Galvin, pattern artist, for children’s drawing workshops*.
* Martina Galvin Workshops 11am-2pm;
Jack Lynch Storytelling 2pm-4pm.
No registration necessary.
Of Gunslingers, Tarantulas, Elvis and Walt – A Global History of the Irish Abroad –
Date: Friday 15th March
Where: Marsh’s Library, St. Patrick’s Close, Dublin 2
Time: 1pm-2pm
This lively talk, on the global history of the Irish abroad by novelist and historian Turtle Bunbury, is based on Wistorical, a new online concept, which connects events from Irish history to places around the world.
This talk will be about history, but not as you know it. The array of characters unearthed are an unlikely lot, representing a range of heroes, villains, eccentrics and crackpots.
Turtle Bunbury is a best-selling author, award-winning travel writer and historian based in Ireland.
Tegolin’s Tales
Date: Friday 15th March
Where: Little Museum of Dublin, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Time: 3pm-4pm
A unique masked fairytale drama for children featuring Glaway-based theatre company, Tegolin’s Tales.
Using specially designed masks, Tegolin brings the children on a memorable journey, meeting and exploring colourful characters along the way.
After each performance, Tegolin will invite the children to join her on stage for ‘hands-on time’ with the various masks, props and special effects used during the show.
Tegolin Knowland is a professional actress and drama teacher with more than 20 years experience.
I __ My City – Shortfilm Showcase
Date: Friday 15th March
Where: Trinity College Dublin – The Examinations Hall, Dublin 2
Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm
Eat My Shorts invited film makers to tell their city’s story and fill in the blank in ‘I__my city’, through animation, documentary, drama or experimental film.
The ten best entries, selected by an industry judging panel, will be presented at this screening in the incredible Examinations Hall in Trinity College.
Eat My Shorts is Dublin’s foremost short film festival, dedicated to creating a platform for new and established film-makers and bringing amazing new short filsm to a wider audience.
The Sacred Harp
Date: Friday 15th March
Where: Trinity College Dublin – The Library, Dublin 2
Time: 7pm-8pm
Donal Dineen, radio presenter, photographer and film maker presents the story of the Harp in Irish history and culture, beginning with the Trinity College Harp in the Library itself.
This illustrated tribute to the national symbol of Ireland, in celebration of our national holiday, will feature live music from Liam O’Maonlaí, one of Irelands best-loved musicians and singers, both in rock and traditional music.
The Book of Kells will be open for viewing before the event.
Resound
Date: Friday 15th March
Where: The National Gallery – Rooms 14-19, Merrion Square W, Dublin 2
Time: 7.30pm-8.30pm
Crash Ensemble Cellist, Kate Ellis joins RTE Lyric FM Composer in Residence Linda Buckley, rising star Laura Sheeran, jazz maestro and world music specialist Francesco Turrisi, fiddle player, Adrian Hart, poet Billy Ramsell and the inimitable Chequerboard to present original music, with live visuals from artist Rory Tangney.
With a performer in each of the five interlinked rooms, the audience is invited to move freely from room to room – creating their own unique experience.
Some Forgotten Unforgettable Irish
Date: Saturday 16th March
Where: Marsh’s Library, St Patrick’s Close, Dublin 8
Time: 1pm-2pm
Irish history tends to forget the efforts of those we might describe as failures, despite the fact that those who try and fail are often the most interesting amongst us.
Author David Slattery presents a hilarious and bizarre account of some of the more interesting Irish failures, who deserve not to be forgotten, because of their qualities and frailties that make them human, like the rest of us!
Tempo
Date: Saturday 16th March
Where: Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2
Time: 6.30pm-7.30pm
Tempo, curated by Irish percussionist Robbie Harris, is an interactive Irish/Brazilian culture clash!
This rousing celebration of drumming, dancing and music from the two cultures is suitable for the whole family.
Also featuring:
-Mick Donegan
-Joe Doyle
-Kelly Baldonaldo
-Maia Adelson
This is an exciting, energetic experience not to be missed!
The Rhythms of the Sea
Date: Sunday 17th March
Where: The Little Museum of Dublin, 15 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Time: TBC. 5pm-6pm
In celebration of Ireland’s EU Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this unique performance will explore the folklore of the Mediterranean, as well as the traditions of Irish music, offering us a repertoire of traditional and original compositions from several European countries.
Members of the Sligo-based folk band NoCrows will join forces with two musicians from Spain, Lute virtuoso Jordi Tugores and the queen of traditional Mallorcan song Miquela Lladó.
The Night Lights
Date: Sunday 17th March
Where: The Boy’s School, Smock Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin 8
Time: 6pm-7pm
Donal Dineen presents a night time journey through Dublin’s streets with pictures, words and live music from Sean Mac Erlaine on bass clarinet. Donal will have filmed Dublin at night over four weeks, to create this unique piece of film, especially for this memorable event.
“The city in daytime belongs to everyone but the further into the night you go the more it becomes your own. Street feelings are more vivid in the small hours somehow. The players have left the stage but the scenery is still standing and in many ways it’s the best time to observe and appreciate all of that. Under the night lights.”
Traditional Rhythms
Date: Sunday 17th March
Where: The Kevin Barry Room, The National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
Time: 8.30pm-9.30pm
With an exciting blend of eclectic fiddle and guitar music, Zoë Conway and John McIntyre bring to the stage sympathetic arrangements of traditional Irish music.
The duo possess a rarre facility to draw peices into their repertoire from other genres such as classical, jazz and world music and express this material in a way which not only displays the sheer range and knowledge of both instrumentalists, but also exhibits the wonderful versatility of their instruments.
Joining them for this special show will be lead Riverdance dancer, Zara Curtis.
The Nightmare Club
Date: Monday 18th March
Where: Smock Alley Theatre, Temple Bar, Dublin 8
Time: 10am, 12pm, 2pm & 4pm
Register at www.stpatricksfestival.ie
The Nightmare Club is a series of scary stories, written by Annie Graves, a young girl from Dublin, who lives near a cemetery and organises a scary, storytelling night in her house.
If you’re brave enough, come meet some crazy characters from the books, talk to the authors, enjoy interactive workshops and check out the live creepy crawlies – ew!
Suitable for 7-10 year olds.
Pre-registration is essential as places are limited
This is a citywide children’s reading promotion, in conjunction with Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, Dublin City Public Libraries and Little Island publishers.
