Something to do in Kerry this August Bank Holiday Weekend

I usually do this post on Friday but with it being the bank holiday weekend there are a number of festivals and events taking place throughout the county so I thought I would post it today.

Bank holiday weekend events in Kerry include the Sean McCarthy Weekend, this festival now in its 16th year takes place in Finuge and commemorates the life of Sean McCarthy and his love for music, song and dance. The highlight of the festival is the concert on Friday night in Teach Siamsa featuring the Kilkennys, a four piece traditional Irish ballad group. For more information visit www.finugeweekend.com.

In Cahersiveen the Celtic Festival of Music and Arts begins on Thursday billed as a festival for all the family it features music workshops, street entertainment, cookery exhibitions, historical walks and a fireworks display. The festival programme guide can now be downloaded from the website www.celticmusicfestival.com. Other festivals include the Dan Paddy Andy Festival, Féile Lios Póil and Féile na Lúnasa in Dingle.

There are two performances in the Acoustic club at the INEC over the weekend Hazel O’Connor (1st August) and the Hothouse Flowers (2nd August).

The Dan Paddy Andy Festival

The Dan Paddy Andy Festival takes place this bank holiday weekend. This festival in Lyreacrompane commemorates the last of the great Irish matchmakers, Dan Paddy Andy O’Sullivan. This year’s festival will be opened by Weeshie Fogarty on Friday night followed by dancing in the marquee. There will be music and dancing all weekend in the marquee and weather permitting in the open air dance floor. The ever popular dog show is on Saturday starting at 1.30pm and on Monday the annual bog walk and turf cutting demonstration takes place. For more festival information visit www.lyreacrompane.com

Weekend Events in Kerry

This weekend in Kerry you can choose from the Wife Carrying competition in Sneem which takes place on Saturday, the Munster Military Vehicle and Re-enactment event in Ardfert or the Ventry Regatta in Dingle on Sunday. The Kerry Way Cancer Research Walk is in Killarney this weekend. On Friday the walk is from Molls Gap to Kenmare, Saturday from Lauragh to Kenmare and on Sunday Torc Waterfall to Kenmare.

In St John’s Theatre Listowel on Friday night, the participants in the July drama & dance summer school present their end of term production ‘What happens next?’ Finally, performing at the INEC this weekend are Keith Barry and Elenor McEvoy. Both performances take place on Saturday 25th. For more information visit http://www.inec.ie/

Summer Festivals this week

The Ardfert Summer Festival and the Sneem Family Festival take place this week. The Ardfert Summerfest begins on Wednesday with the official opening at 8.00pm. There are a number of activities for children over the 5 day festival including sports events, amusements, a dog show and a fancy dress parade. On Saturday evening there is an Open Air Karaoke competition and on Sunday events to choose from include helicopter rides, military re-enactments and Kerry’s largest air display. For more information and a programme of events go to www.ardfertsummerfest.webs.com The Sneem Family festival also begins on Wednesday this week. For more details on this festival visit www.sneemfestival.com or any of our previous posts on this family festival.

Weekend Events in Kerry

If you are looking for something to do this weekend in Kerry there are a number of events to choose from including the Seatrout Festival in Waterville, the Synge exhibition in Siamsa Tíre, Tralee and the Ballyheigue Summer Festival.

The Ballyheigue Festival has been running all week and some of the activities this Saturday and Sunday include a dog show, busking competition, sandcastle competition, village fete and a grand parade. For more details on the festival you can download the programe of events from www.ballyheiguefestival.com

The Killarney Summerfest is drawing to a close this weekend with the Pussycat Dolls concert in Fitzgerald Park.

The Irish National Wife Carrying Competition Sneem 2009

Sneem is the venue again for the Irish National Wife Carrying Competition 2009. Last years winning couple John O'Shea from Caherdaniel and Aoife Desmond from Castlecove, received an all expenses paid trip to represent Ireland in the World Wife Carrying Championships on the 4th of July in Finland this year. They will be competing alongside 10 other countries including Japan, China, Australia and USA.

The competition which is the highlight of the festival sees contestants carrying their wife, on a 253 metre course over sand and grass, two dry obstacles and one water obstacle which is about a metre deep. The national record to beat is 1 min and 12 seconds!




In addition to the competition other things to see and do at the festival include the very popular Crate Climbing Competition, laughter yoga, walks, craft market, circus skills workshop, 7-a-side soccer tournament, sheaf tossing, pet show plus much more. For more information visit the Sneem Family Festival website.

The Killarney Summerfest is also taking place this month. Once again there are a variety of activities to choose from including the International Street Performers competition, Junk Art - Don't Rubbish it, Midnight Walk at Ross Castle, Hot Air Ballooning Display, Teddy Bears Picnic; the list is endless. The big concert features the Pussycat Dolls with special guest McFly on the 18th . For more information visit the Summerfest website.

With Pat Short at St John’s Theatre Listowel, Mick Flannery at the INEC Acoustic Club and an exhibition of the photography of John Millington Synge at the Siamsa Gallery there is lots to do in Kerry over the month of July.