Festivals are back – sorely missed during the past few years – so put Offaly on your list for Summer 2022 festival fun.
Now part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Offaly is literally a “hidden gem” with its wide open spaces, historic and scenic locations, not to mention stunning nature in the Slieve Blooms, Lough Boora and Birr Castle Demesne.
Why not organise your trip to coincide with one of these great festivals which will run from July into August this year?
Edenderry Festival – For Family Fun – 1st – 3rd July
Starting in July from the 1st to the 3rd, the Edenderry Festival is a must for anyone with a love of superheroes.
The streets will be alive with Comic-con characters, available for selfies and chats and there will be an exhibition centre in the town packed with sensational exhibits from the world of Super Heroes.
There is also a busking competition – with a prize of €1000, a parade to celebrate frontline workers and local sports winners, led by Pamela Uba, Miss Ireland 2021, as well as a dedicated Children’s Day on Sunday the 3rd of July with Paw Patrol in attendance, alongside fairground rides magic shows, music and games.
Traditude Festival – For the Music Lovers – 2nd – 3rd July
On Saturday and Sunday, the Traditute Festival takes place in Ferbane. A must for Traditional music fans there is a stellar line up, including the world-renowned Scottish trio ‘Talisk’ featuring the combined talents of Benedict Morris, Mohsen Amini and Graeme Armstrong, heading the bill on Sunday night with Ireland’s greatest trad exponents Martin O’Connor, Cathal Hayden and Seamie O’Dowd announced for the Saturday night extravaganza.
The hugely popular Splendid Isolation and the Briar Hotel Big Band also make a welcome return to Ferbane this year.
The line-up is exceptional and Traditude promises to offer an extraordinary weekend of music and craic.
There will be two stages hosting the live music at the venue at Gleeson’s, Main Street, Ferbane. Traditude runs from 2 ‘til late on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July.
Tickets are available at Traditude.ie. Day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available at €35 or take in the entire weekend for €60.
Scripts – Irelands Playwriting Festival – For the Writers – 7th – 10th July
Offaly’s Scripts Festival is dedicated to new Irish plays — the writing of them, the development and the nurturing of them.
The mission of Scripts is to continue to present exciting opportunities for playwrights to have their work nurtured, developed, produced and performed. Every year, a callout is issued for new plays, 15-minutes in length, about a specific theme.
Following a rigorous selection process, three are chosen for further development. The chosen playwrights then come to Birr for a week-long mentorship with Eugene O’Brien during Scripts. The plays are then staged as rehearsed readings by a team of professional actors in our festival finale, Nurtured New Works at Birr Theatre Arts Centre.
Birr Vintage Week – Vintage Fun for families – 29th July – 7th August
Running since 1968 and marking the unique Georgian heritage of the town, Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival, takes place this year from the 29th of July to the 7th of August and is a week-long arts festival in Birr featuring professional, national and international artists bringing visual arts, theatre, music, treasure hunts, street theatre, pop up performers, workshops, exhibitions and lots more, together with a variety of community events.
The ethos of Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival is to celebrate, connect, share, transform and surprise!
At 54 years of age, the Festival is nationally-acknowledged as a unique historical, cultural and community-focused celebration.