The Crawley Irish Festival celebrates its 21st birthday on August 28th – that’s the August Bank Holiday Sunday.
From humble beginnings it has built up a strong following over the years attracting over 6,000 people yearly and accepted as the only Irish Festival of its type in the UK. It has something for everybody with music song dance and lots, lots more and always adds to a great Bank Holiday treat.
It features 3 different music areas catering from traditional to country to contemporary.
MCing the MAIN STAGE is Gerry Molumby and headlining it is Shawn Cuddy and his band on tour from Ireland tonether with the London based band The Craicheads. Also on the main stage is Reel Strings and Mary Rose Band. Over on the TRADITIONAL STAGE and MC’d by Patrick O Connell there’s Irish Mist, Nuala Dalton with Bearú, Arís, Grannys Attic, The Jacqueline Hynes Trio, and Brogue Irish Folk.
A highlight of the festival is the 7 hour music session where Celtic Crunch and Strawdogs provide the musical backbone where acts from across the festival are joined with local bands adding to a great mix of music throughout the day.
Irish Dancing arena features the famous Crawley Ceili together with dancing displays from Crawley’s Irish Dance Schools.
Cultural identity are featured strongly with a talk by Dr Linda Doran on ‘The Celts and Celtic Ireland’, an Irish Shop, GAA All–Ireland Football on the Big Screen, a photo exhibition, and various food and craft stalls and displays.
The younger element are well catered for with a special children’s entertainment arena with particular emphasis on traditions and folklore, art workshops, kids drama corner with Mairead Cuminsky and song and storytelling by Deirdre O’Byrne
It all kicks off at 12 noon and runs for 7 hours at The Hawth Theatre in Central Crawley. If you are travelling by train Crawley Station and Three Bridges Station are within easy walking distance.
If you need any more information check out the website here