Committee reveals plans for Shamrock Festival 2011
ANOTHER EXCITING line-up of events has been announced for this year's Navan Shamrock Festival which takes place from Thursday 10th March to 17th inclusive. The festival kicks off on Thursday, 10th March with old time and ceili dancing for members of active retirement groups and invited guests from 10.30am until 12 noon at the Community Centre on Trimgate Street. The weekend heralds the return of the popular McFadden's funfair to the Fairgreen where it will remain for the festival. The annual open day at Navan Fire Station from 2pm-5pm on Sunday, 13th March, will see an array of equipment will on display and free rides in the fire engines will be offered for kids, both big and small. Then on Monday, the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Loyola Hearn, is due to arrive at the Hill of Tara to ceremoniously plant some shamrock, after which a walking tour will take place. The ambassador will also visit Trim and then Navan, where he will view a multi-cultural display by members of Youthreach during the official opening of the festival at the Town Hall on Watergate Street. A talk by historian, Noel French, will be given on 'The Meath Men in the Canadian Forces in World War 1' plus the connection between Navan and a similarly named town in Canada. Later that night, the 'Salmon of Knowledge' table quiz will take place from 9.30pm at The Stone House on Kennedy Plaza. The Road Safety Authority's Roadcaster will pull into Kennedy Plaza at 10.30am on Tuesday, where simulated exhibitions of speed and safety will be given. The large contingent of guests from Navan's twin town in Broccostella in Italy will also arrive on the day, and they will be given a civic reception in the town hall. The Broccostella band will play alongside the Big Band sound and the Navan silver band later that night in the Newgrange Hotel. On St Patrick's Eve, the Italian band will join the National Forester's Band and members of local branches of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann for a booming concert at the Solstice Art Centre from 8pm. An ecumenical service in St Mary's Church of Ireland will be held at 7pm will also take place on the Wednesday night and a traditional session will end the night in The Lantern Lounge on Watergate Street. St Patrick's Day will begin with Italian music at 10am Mass in St Oliver's Church, while Mass 'as Gaeilge' will take place to the tunes of the Foresters band at 11am at St Mary's Church. Kennedy Plaza, Trimgate Street and the Fairgreen will come alive to a huge mix of entertainment from 1pm, before St Patrick and his Italian followers arrive by boat up the River Boyne to the Andy Brennan Park at 3.30pm. After the traditional parade, which this year starts at 4.30pm, there will be a children's post-parade disco in the Newgrange Hotel ahead of the annual twilight fireworks display at the Andy Brennan Park. Peadar Farrelly and friends will take over the Ardboyne from 9pm for a charity fundraiser ceili.