Festival of the Fires promises to ignite the summer festival season in the most spectacular fashion. With fires in all 32 counties lit in solidarity to the main event on the historic Hill of Uisneach in Westmeath, the May Bank Holiday weekend event is possibly going to be the only festival in Ireland that will be visible from space!
The UNESCO World Heritage site that is the Hill of Uisneach has a remarkable history, with Festival of the Fires at its heart. Historically, the hill is where the first fires in Ireland were lit, and these became a symbol of the arrival of summer with the staging of the Bealtaine festival, Ireland’s oldest recorded festival. The modern-day version, Festival of the Fires, was rekindled for the first time in over 1,400 years in 2009 and has gone from strength to strength since.
The Bealtaine celebration, which takes place on Saturday April 30, is most spectacular heritage, arts, and cultural event of its kind. It culminates in the lighting of a national fire, firstly on the summit of Uisneach and then carried to every county in Ireland. Over 100 other fires are to be lit nationwide. The fires follow a dazzling night-time fire parade on Uisneach devised and developed by the multi-award winning LUXe Arts Group and featuring over 1,000 performers and participants. This signature parade is just one of the elements that sets the festival apart from other, music-led events.
Of course, music plays a major role and three stages will play host to national and international acts such as The Saw Doctors, Kíla, Paddy Casey, Republic of Loose, Liam O’Maonlaoi (Hothouse Flowers ) agus Rónán O’Snódaigh, The Aftermath, Preacher’s Son, Bi-Polar Empire, The Riptide Movement, Pete Courtney, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann award winners Jukebox Gypsy, Touch the Earth, Ronan Leonard, The Revellz, Arrow in the Sky, and many, many more. In total close to 100 acts will play.
Numerous well-known historians, poets, and storytellers will take festival goers on a journey into the glorious history of the festival venue, the Hill of Uisneach. Heritage trails and guest lectures on the UNESCO World Heritage site are a major part of the event. OAPs and children are allowed free entry to the event, and a special family area will be crammed full of workshops, interactive exhibits, slides, and play areas. A special holistic area will be a haven of tranquillity and peacefulness for people seeking a therapeutic touch and dozens of healers will be on hand. Food and drink from the Midlands and beyond will be on sale, and craftsmen and tradespeople will also be showcasing their wares at one of several special festival villages established on the hill.
Uisneach will also come alive with art, and a major arts trail will effectively turn the hill into a massive outdoor gallery. Some of the biggest names in Irish art as well as some guests from Europe will be exhibiting and an arts competition with a bursary award valued at €5,000 is currently underway.
No matter where you go on the expansive site you are bound to be entertained, with secret stages and more dotted throughout the site with ancient Celtic sports, agricultural ceremonies, and more taking place in fields along the main heritage trail. The Hill will also be patrolled by hundreds of Uisneach Warriors - horsemen and women dressed in authentic Celtic uniforms. There will also be a special appearance by the Mullingar Town Band, the current European Marching Band Champions, and a spoken word stage will feature specially commissioned plays from over a dozen schools.
Tickets for Festival of the Fires are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.ie and from selected arts and cultural venues in the Midlands. Tickets are €35 each in advance, and tickets with camping are €40.
For more information log on to www.festivalofthefires.com
