Festival of The Fires returns

international | arts and media | event notice Tuesday April 12, 2011 11:52 by Kieran H - Festival of the Fires festivaloffire at gmail dot com +353 85 14780909

Festival of The Fires at Uisneach, Co. Westmeath

We would like to announce the return of the Festival of The Fires on 30th April 2011

Festival of The Fires 2011

GROUSE LODGE, ROSEMOUNT, MOATE, CO. WESTMEATH
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS: PADDY DUNNING, DAVID CLARKE
PHONE 09064 36175
[email protected] - www.festivalofthefires.com

Greetings,
Following the fantastic response nationally to Festival of the Fires 2010 we have embarked on the planning of this year’s event, which will take place at the dawn of May on Saturday April 30th.
Festival of the Fires is a unique and iconic event. Although the festival is focused at the ancient Hill of Uisneach in the centre of Ireland in County Westmeath, the national celebration of Bealtaine is at its core.
Bealtaine is the ancient Irish festival heralding the onset of summer. For thousands of years the ceremony of lighting a fire on the Hill of Uisneach was passed on or imitated on hills all over the whole island, with the ceremony attended by families and indeed attracted visitors from distant foreign lands. The Irish Diaspora traditionally returned home at this time, and it is our intention to invite the Diaspora back to future Festival of the Fires as we strive to make this the iconic national festival of our time.
Last year we replicated the Bealtaine tradition of holding a fire ceremony on the Hill of Uisneach. A day of arts, cultural and heritage activities culminated with the lighting of a central fire on the Uisneach summit at 9pm. In the immediate vicinity this initiated the lighting of 21 other beacon hill fires. Throughout the island a further 100 fires on hills big and small were ignited. There were fires from coast to coast in almost every county, including on offshore islands. Groups, local communities and volunteers from all these locations joined us in echoing the ancient celebration of Bealtaine, making Festival of the Fires truly a national event. The response was phenomenal and the feedback overwhelmingly positive. This year, as well as expanding nationally to all 32 counties of Ireland, we are going International. Already we have identified sites in Michigan in the USA and Newfoundland, Canada. Groups in Norway, Germany, France and Italy as well as our closer neighbours in England, Scotland and Wales will be joining us in this year’s celebration.

The beacon fires all over Ireland last year were ignited by medley of individuals, groups and organisations. We would therefore ask to join us at the dawn of May in celebrating Bealtaine by lighting a hilltop fire and organising a small community event. Kieran Hennessy will again be coordinating the beacon fires at the various sites involved and putting a shout out to those who would like to join in this year’s celebration, and your help here would be much appreciated. Individuals, groups, community organisations, families and institutions are all invited to join with others in their area to celebrate Bealtaine and Festival of The Fires on Saturday 30th April 2011.
The heart of the event should be the symbolic lighting of a beacon fire in conjunction with the Fire at Uisneach. This coordinated national act proposes to bring all away from the TV and out for the evening in a communal celebration of life and the heralding of summer. Meet old friends and neighbours. Make new connections. Join in music, song, story telling and dance. The whole country will be doing it!

For further information see:
http://www.festivalofthefires.com/
http://www.facebook.com/festivalofthefires
Contact:
Kieran Hennessy, Festival Co-Ordinator
At [email protected]

Best Regards,

Kieran Hennessy