Letterfrack set for annual Bog Week celebration

The annual Conamara Bog Week kicks off this Friday, May 24 in Letterfrack with the official opening being performed by Dr Brendan Dunford of the Burrenbeo Trust.

That will take place in Letterfrack Church and will be followed by a Mol an Óige Concert. The weekend will also feature an art exhibition in Connemara National Park featuring the work of locally based artists Rosie McGurran and Gavin Lavelle; an intergenerational concert; music workshops; a fun run; a turf warrior event in conjunction with Killary Adventure Company and a Family Fun Day Sports Day.

Throughout the weekend, there will be top traditional music with some of Ireland’s finest players – Michelle Mulcahy, The Kane Sisters, Marie Walsh, Mary Bergin, Johnny Connolly, Johnny O’Halloran, Marcus Hernon, Gerry Whelan and more.

The festivities will also run throughout the June Bank Holiday weekend, with a series of environmental and arts events taking place. These will include two guided walks with two eminent ecologists Mags Flaherty and Sinead Keane; sean-nós and Canadian Clog dancing with Gearóid Devaney and Nathan Pilatzke; The Monastery Hostel Gig with emerging singer/songwriters Sabrina Dinan and Ultan Conlon. 

A special feature of the weekend will be the afternoon concerts taking place in the new church at Kylemore Abbey.

On Saturday, June 1 at 4.00pm the line-up will feature Benedictine nun, Sr Karol and her choir with guest harpist Laoise Kelly, accordionist Mirella Murray and talented young harpist/singer Seamus Flaherty.  On Sunday afternoon it will be the turn of Josephine Marsh Band featuring Declan Corey on mandolin, Tommy Carew guitar/vocals and Paul O’Driscoll on double bass. 

The art exhibition will continue in Connemara National Park throughout the festival, while there will also be a series of talks and the popular Schools Programme with ecologists Gordon Darcy, Mags Flaherty and Michael Jacob.

There will be a cycling event on Wednesday next, May 29, while those who want a more leisurely ramble through the landscape can take part in one of two guided Parish Walks on Sunday, June 2 at 2.30pm, meeting in the Connemara National Park (Mags Flaherty) and at Renvyle Castle (ecologist and herbalist Sinead Keane). 

 Bog Week will run from this Friday, May 24 to Monday, June 3. More information at www.ceecc.org  leo.hallissey@gmail.com 095 43443 / 085 1154629.