The second annual Rooskey Heritage Festival will be held from Friday, July 22nd to Sunday, July 24th inclusive, with an extensive programme of events lined up.
Last year’s inaugural festival, which cost more than €20,000 to stage, was an outstanding success. Next week’s event, sponsored mainly by Cox’s Steakhouse, Dromod, promises to be even better.
Proceedings will get underway at 8 pm on Friday in the Big Red Barn, which will be erected at the village and will host the music events.
Fr. Kevin Fallon, the local parish priest, will give a festival blessing before Katie King, the Festival Rose, performs the official opening to a thrilling weekend’s entertainment.
It will be followed by ‘Dancing Through the Years’ at 9 pm. From 11 pm until late, ‘Rackhouse Pilfer’ will play, with admission being €10.
Proceedings will begin on Saturday with a variety of events held in Rooskey Community Centre from noon until 6 pm, including artisan food and craft stalls, a 1916 collectors’ ex4hibition, art displays and kids’ entertainment.
Various amusements will be located at the old factory car park, where a heritage wall and display will also be available to view.
At the harbour during Saturday, many water-based activities will be held, including kayaking, canoeing and boat trips. At the same venue, there will also be street entertainment, a busking competition and street art.
That night in the barn from 9 pm until late, a variety of musicians will play. Firstly, ‘4 Degrees West’ will perform, followed by Aidan Quinn, 15-year-old Keelan and Cliona Hagan, a newcomer to the country music scene.
Events will again be held in the community centre from noon until 6 pm on Sunday, with activities from Saturday repeated, along with a Custard Pie Puppet Show at 4 pm.
At 3 pm at the factory car park, there will be a flag-raising ceremony and reading of the Proclamation to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising. There will also be amusements and a heritage wall and display. Similar events as on Saturday will be held at the harbour during Sunday.
The festival will close with many musical performances on Sunday night in the Big Red Barn. From 5 pm onwards, there will be ‘Music with Local Talent’. From 10 pm onwards, ‘Late Nite Radio’ will perform, with admission being €5.
