Full steam ahead for the Clondalkin Festival
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE popular InClondalkin Festival will be returning again this weekend, with a whole host of activities including Irish language events, poetry readings and free guided historical walking tours, with the festival’s highlight being live performances in Clondalkin Village on Sunday.
The festival is now in its eighth year, and has become a highlight of the Clondalkin social calendar with a variety of events that will appeal to all Clondalkin residents.
Members of the Clondalkin Youth Band at the festival last year
The festival kicked off on Friday with a Pop-Up Gaeltacht in Quinlan’s Lounge and will be followed by a busy day packed full of events on Saturday.
The Laurel’s Charity Crew will be holding a fun cycle around Clondalkin Village for all ages, starting at 11.30am on Saturday morning.
On Saturday afternoon the Library After Dark Writers’ Group will be in Clondalkin Library, reading their own poetry and prose, and other writers are also invited to sign up on the day to perform some of their own work.
Clondalkin Garda Station will hold its open day on Saturday, from 2pm to 5pm, where they’ll be displaying some of the specialist units, and members of the Garda Band will perform.
Events that will span both the Saturday and Sunday of the InClondalkin Festival include free walking tours by The Round Tower Heritage Group, which will start at the Round Tower and will be on across both days of the event from 2pm to 5pm.
The Clondalkin Handcraft and Horticultural Show will exhibit at Newlands Garden Centre on Saturday and then at Aras Chronain on Sunday.
Paul’s Pet Parties will be returning to the festival this year, with a menagerie of interesting and interactive animals, while there will also be street performers in the village.
The Big Day Out on Sunday is the highlight of the festival, and will see an interesting array of live local talent, including singers and dancers, take to the stage in Clondalkin Village.
The InClondalkin Festival will be held until Sunday, July 1.
