Something for the weekend
It will be a busy August bank holiday weekend in the county, with the Le Cheile Arts and Music Festival underway in Oldcastle, the Braveheart 20 celebrations in Trim on Saturday, and the Folks, Blues and Beyond festival in Beggy's of Navan.
Le Cheile, Oldcastle
This year’s August Bank Holiday weekender comprises recent Irish Number 1 band HamsandwicH (Fri 31st July), a six time Meteor Award winner in Damien Dempsey (Sat 1st Aug) , and a Multi-Platinum selling, stadium filling, band in ASH (Sun 2nd Aug) , whose recently released new album KABLAMMO is already receiving critical acclaim and who opened up for Foo Fighters at Slane in May.
It’s a huge line up completed with crowd favourites Big Generator who will close out the festival on Monday 3rd August for the third year running. Other acts of note include rising stars Travis Oaks, Corner Boy, Ray Scully, Preachers Son, The Radioactive Grandma, as well as more than 60 acts, spread across five stages, with something for every taste!
For lovers of art, there will be exhibits as well as workshops all weekend at the Witches Hill Resource Centre, as well as live art with Barry Jazz Finnegan in the Fincourt Bar. Creans Bar will host music all weekend in its cool and chilled Garden Stage. Other activities include theatre and plays in the Masonic Hall, as well as the ever popular kids workshops, with a train ride to ferry kids on an arts trail around the town.
Working with both Meath Arts Council and County Council, as well as Meath Tourism, Le Cheile also welcome Walker & The Brotherhood from the Rockaway Artists Alliance, New York. Forming the nucleus of the ‘Diaspora’ Events which aim to welcome back those who have emigrated over the years, this event is run in conjunction with Meath Co Council. Walker & The Brotherhood will bring their very own style and energy to Oldcastle for their second trip, having rocked the whole town for The Gathering two years ago.
Braveheart 20, Trim
The 'Braveheart 20’ festival takes place at Trim Castle on Saturday to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Academy Award-winning movie filmed in the town.
The main event will be the screening of Braveheart on a giant outdoor screen in the grounds of Trim Castle but there will be a variety of events taking place throughout the day including battle re-enactments, music and more.
Gates will open at 11.30am and local cult movie 'Fatal Deviation’ will be screened at 12 noon.
Throughout the day, there will be a pig on a spit, fortune teller, wooden toy shields and swords, face painting, pottery making, pottery painting, bouncing castles, dog grooming, food stalls, McCormack farm juices, candles, and heritage tours.
From 1.30pm-2pm, the William Wallace Society will stage a battle re-enactment and presentation of colours.
The live music and entertainment includes Scariff (2pm), Celtic Blondes (2.30pm) The Slow Burners (2.40pm), Frank McNamara (3.20pm), Celtic Blondes (3.40), Jester (3.50pm), The Mystical Sound of Landless (4.15pm),
There will be a battle re-enactment with the William Wallace Society at 4.45pm and Athboy Archery will give demonstrations on the hour between 2pm and 5pm.
The area will be cleared at 5pm and gates will re-open at 6.30pm. At 7pm, there will be a video message from Mel Gibson and Braveheart will be screened at 7.30pm.
The Garth Brooks Experience after party takes place in Trim GAA from 10.30pm. Times are approximate but every effort will be taken to keep to this timetable.
'Braveheart 20’ is being staged to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Oscar-winning movie starring Mel Gibson and to raise money for the Sean Lawlor Artists’ Trust and other local charities, including Meath River Rescue, Trim Red Cross, St Joseph’s Community Nursing Unit, Trim Meals-on-Wheels and Trim Tidy Towns.
A day-ticket, which includes the screening of 'Fatal Deviation’, is €7.50 and can be purchased at the gate . A full-day ticket including the screening of Braveheart is €27.50. Accompanied children under 12 are free. Tickets are available at eventbrite.ie or Siopa an Caislean.
‘FOLK, BLUES and BEYOND FESTIVAL’ , Navan
Beggys Bar, Bridge Street Navan host the inaugural ‘FOLK, BLUES and BEYOND FESTIVAL’ this August Bank Holiday weekend, 31st July to 3rd August.
There is an amazing line up for this weekend headlined by Navan's own Willie Byrne, star of the West End ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.
On Friday night, Trims own Gerry Tully will perform well crafted songs in the genres of Folk, Ballad, and Smoky Bar Styles from Luke Kelly to Leonard Cohen and Neil Young to Tom Waits.
On Saturday night , Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape from New York will rock Beggys with their very unique Blues Rock sound.
On Sunday night Willie Byrne returns home from London especially to perform in Beggys. Willie will perform solo from 9pm and will then will front the Beggys house band – The Beggy Experiment from 10 til late. The weekly Beggys trad session will kick off the evenings entertinment at 6.30pm.
On Monday night the weekend will draw to a close with Michael Brunnock, from Kells, home from New York to make a guest appearance at the weekly fireside sessions in Beggys from 9.30pm.