Estonian and Greek musicians, Scotland's Dunedin Highland Dancers and England's Chameleonic Morris Men head up to windy Belmullet in Co Mayo later this month for the Iorrais 2000: International Folk Arts Festival.
The festival, which runs from July 26th to 30th, has lined up its usual eclectic mix, including an ex-Horslips guitarist for what has been billed as the "Johnny Fean experience". The event will open with an international groups parade, involving Naoussa Paros from Greece, Kandali Kuljus from Estonia, the aforementioned highland flingers and morris men; later on that night, July 26th, Paddy Mills and Joe Carey will join the groups in the Talk of the Town, Bangor, Erris.
Several venues will be used, in Belmullet, Bangor, Geesala, Carrowteigue, Doohoma and Glenamoy, and there will also be a visual arts exhibition in Belmullet library. Alternative events include talks, workshops, fireworks, and much more, and details can be obtained from the festival office at (097)82406 or by e-mail at feileiorras@eircom.net
A "Mardi Gras" on the Moy, the Picture House live, a national heritage day and a young artists' exhibition are some of the highlights of this year's Ballina Street Festival and Arts Week in the north Mayo town.
The week-long festival opened several days ago, and has already hosted a literary awards event and three tenors in concert. It has put together a full programme for children, and is laying great emphasis on "heritage day" this coming Wednesday. Before the Mardi Gras floats and fireworks on the river next Saturday, a busking competition will take place in the town centre at 4 p.m. For more details on the programme, the festival office is at (096)70905.
The Galway Film Fleadh opens tomorrow and promises the "most diverse and densely packed programme in the event's 12-year history" with over 60 Irish, European and international films scheduled over six days. An EU-backed Film Fair gives Irish and European film-makers a rare opportunity to meet international producers, financiers and distributors, and runs concurrently with the fleadh over three of the six days (July 14th to 16th).
As part of the programme, the Heritage Council is screening the sixth episode of the thought-provoking series, Irish Dreamtime, which is currently being broadcast on RTE 1 on Tuesday nights. Passing On, as the episode made by Ocean Films is entitled, will be shown at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, on Wednesday. For bookings and details on all events in the Town Hall and Galway Omniplex, the festival office is at (091)569777.
Today in Galway, the Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, will announce a joint initiative between Galway City Library and Duchas, the Heritage Service, of his Department. The aim is to provide a dedicated heritage information unit in the library, focusing on both the natural and built heritage, which will be regularly updated with news and events.