Edenderry festival to bring music and colour to the town

Edenderry is preparing for its rejuvenated summer festival, boasting music, art and historical re-enactments. The event takes place from July 5 to July 8 and is set to bring music and colour to the North Offaly town.

One of the highlights is the re-enactment of the trial and execution of Fr. Mogue Kearns and Col. Anthony Perry. John Maguire has assembled a team of actors for the unique event. Rehearsals are going well, John says, but he could still do with some additional foot soldiers.

He is also hoping to see many of the audience come dressed in peasant clothing from the period to add to the atmosphere and authenticity of the event. 'Peasants' are asked to wear a trousers, waistcoat and white shirt, and John says, "the shirt doesn’t even have to be clean."

The whole event will be filmed, so if you fancy yourself as the next Mel Gibson, you can contact John at 086 3879165.

Meanwhile, the committee have put together a fabulous weekend of fun and entertainment for all the family, with full details yet to be announced.

One of the other highlights is expected to the the children’s art competition. The judges are busy selecting 36 pieces from the hundreds of entries. All 36 pieces will be exhibited in the library and each of the selected artists will receive a prize. The overall winning entry will be used as the cover for the Festival brochure.

The committee are delighted with the response to the International Busking Competition with entries flooding in. On Saturday, July 7, Edenderry will be filled with the sounds of competing acts, vying to capture that €1,000 first prize.

The festival is set to bring hundreds of people out onto the streets to enjoy the events and activities, and you can keep up to date with all the goings-on on the Edenderry Festival Facebook page. 

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