ARRANGEMENTS:NEXT WEEK'S St Patrick's Festival will see the return of the Festival Céilí to Dublin's St Stephen's Green for a second year running.
Next Wednesday’s céilí is one of the first events on the city’s festival schedule. Admittance is free.
Riverdance star Dearbhla Lennon is to be joined by professional dancers and instructors who will help teach the public classic sets such as the Siege of Ennis and the Walls of Limerick.
The general theme of the 2011 St Patrick’s Festival (stpatricksfestival.ie) will highlight the country’s literary ties.
Meanwhile, gardaí have warned motorists of higher risks associated with St Patrick’s week. They reported that road deaths had risen by almost one-third this year, and said they would increase mandatory testing over St Patrick’s week while also concentrating on “vulnerable road users”.
Speaking at Garda headquarters, Assistant Commissioner John Twomey unveiled the latest Garda equipment to target “boy racers”, including a “Tint Man” device which detects the amount of light passing through blackened windows. Windows allowing in less than 65 per cent of available light are considered unsafe, and gardaí will be enforcing roadside checks.
Gardaí have also been equipped with sound meters with which to test exhaust noise levels. Vehicles registering above 99 decibels are to be deemed unacceptable.