Celebrities everywhere for biggest ever Swift Festival

Leading celebrities, politicians an media figures will begin arriving in Trim tomorrow (Thursday) for the launch of the Trim Swift Festival. This year's star turn will be Alastair Campbell, former spin doctor for ex-British prime minister Tony Blair, who will host a round table discussion at Knightsbrook Hotel on Friday evening. He will be joined by Senator David Norris, John Waters, Terry Prone and a number of other prominent political and media celebrities. Earlier in the day, RTE's Joe Duffy and his Liveline Funny Friday team will entertain the nation with comedy and satire from Trim Castle Hotel from 1.45pm till 3pm. Barbara Nestor, director of the Trim Swift Festival, said they were delighted Duffy and his team will be in the town for the occasion. "It's fitting that the Funny Friday programme comes to Trim, which was the home of Jonathan Swift, renowned for his wit and comical satire. We're encouraging people to pop in and see the show on the day. "It's a great boost to have such a popular presenter and a line-up of national comedians on air from our festival. We talked to the show's producer, Jane Murphy, a couple of weeks ago and, thankfully, she made the brave decision to outside broadcast Liveline for the first time ever," Ms Nestor said. The Trim Swift Festival is focusing on providing entertainment for Trim people and visitors alike this year. Saturday 3rd July will see the festival's first family and sports day take place on Trim Castle's grounds. There'll be local markets from 12 noon on the day. Local musicians Damian Reilly, Backbeat and Gerry Tully will provide music throughout the day. The obligatory bouncy castle and kids activities will be up and running from noon onwards. The World Cup quarter-final will also be showing on a big screen. Throughout the day, Trim GAA Club and Trim Celtic will be running mini-competitions in the Porchfields. Over 70 young players from around the county are expected to tog out. At 5pm, they'll have a chance to hear and meet George Hook, Brent Pope, Colm O'Rourke, Anthony Moyles and other sporting legends talk about sport and how it's affected their lives in the Swift Battle of The Boots sports discussion. The second World Cup quarter-final will be shown on the big screen later that evening. The festival will be officially launched tomorrow (Thursday) in the OPW headquarters on Swift Lane by the world's leading expert on Swift, Professor Andrew Carpenter. Some lucky guests will also have the opportunity to see the Trim Castle singers perform in the keep of Trim Castle. The final of the Swift Stand-up Row takes place after the launch in the Malt House pub at 9.30pm. It's a grudge match between the two sharpest pubs in the town, Lenihans and The Steps. The competition has been fierce between pubs to date that it's understood a number of 'practice' rows have occurred over the past few weeks. On Saturday, Roy Keane, Enda Kenny, Bertie Ahern, Al Pacino and even Noel McCormack are expected to make an appearance at the Swift Comedy night in Knightsbrook Hotel at 9pm. The festival organisers have no way of knowing who'll show up as Nob Nation, Bull Island's Alan Shortt, up-and-coming local comedian Ray Reilly and Dubliner Colm O'Regan will impersonate some well-known national and local characters! The festival will end on Sunday with the annual 'Battle of the Books' competition which pitches the Boyne Writers and the Meath Writers Circle against each other in literary combat. This is an 'X-Factor' type format with each group putting forward a team of three writers who compose a piece of writing to be judged by a panel of three judges. Last year saw controversy as many felt the competition judges were too harsh on contestants! The academic strand of the festival has been strengthened this year with six leading international experts on Swift and English literature presenting unique papers over the weekend. Renowned Trim-based journalist and member of the Trim Swift Festival committee, Paddy Smith, said the similarities between Dean Swift's era and the current times were uncanny, to say the least. He said: "Writing about the banking crisis in the 1700s, Swift said: 'I have often wished that a Law were enacted to hang up half a dozen Bankers every year, and thereby interpose at least some short Delay, to the further Ruin of Ireland.'" Details on all these events and the many others over the weekend are available and can be booked on www.trimswift festival.com or by phoning (087) 926 8066.