By Dan Walsh
As we head into the June Bank Holiday weekend there is plenty of choices for leisure and entertainment across the county, but an event not to be missed is the ‘all events free’ two-day Festival of Ferns taking place in the historic north Wexford village on Sunday and Monday.
This year’s Festival of Ferns centres around Diarmait MacMurrough, his inauguration as the King of Leinster and his followers and his Norman allies will lead the Parade – a visual spectacle of colour and fun to take place on Monday, June 3rd.
The Parade will set out at 12 noon from St Edan’s Cathedral and will include a Samba band, medieval costumes, giant props and more. The Parade disbands at Ferns Castle where the inauguration and reenactment will be followed by performances on an outdoor stage.
A mix of contemporary dance, the Chord On Blues choir and Wexford music duo, Rag Doll are sure to be a crowd pleaser. A great family day out – keep an eye out for face painting and The Snail’s Tale around the Castle grounds.
The main event scheduled for Sunday at 7 pm features a Celtic Jazz concert on an outdoor stage on the grounds of Ferns Castle. A specially commissioned piece entitled the ‘Marriage of Two Cultures’ will be performed by award winning vocalist/composer Melanie O’Reilly and her Celtic Jazz Ensemble. The performance will also feature renowned choreographer Karine Saporta, one of the most prominent figures in French dance, and her dancers from Normandy.
Fringe events on Sunday, June 2nd from 2pm – 6pm include a busking competition with a prize fund of €200, family fun activities at the Community Park located at the back of Ferns Community Centre. Activities for kids include the Bemusement Games with Fuinseog Woodland crafts; the Setanta Challenge; and you can even spend some time in medieval stocks. An exhibition of Coats of Arms researched and designed by pupils in both local schools will be displayed in Scoil Naomh Maodhóg. Following workshops on Gaelic and Norman names and their meanings, pupils were invited to research their own Coat of Arms and even to design their own.
And a first for Ferns – guided walking tours to key medieval sites in four languages – Japanese, French, Irish and English. Other tours on offer are a Rebel Tour of Ferns focusing on 1798 Rebellion, the 1916 Rising and the Irish War of Independence and Civil War, a guided tour of the Ferns Tapestries in the Ferns Castle Visitor Centre, and local beekeeper Joe Kelly will give a talk and display on the local bee colony. The tours offer a great variety to those interested in connecting with their heritage.
Follow Festival of Ferns on social media and visit www.festivalofferns.com for details on all events.
WexfordLocal.com 