Salmon of Knowledge festival to showcase Trim’s talents

A dramatic performance of the mythical story of the Salmon of Knowledge from the River Boyne and performances by headline act 'Ladies in the Blues,' will be among the highlights of the Trim Salmon of Knowledge Festival, which takes place on Sunday.
Organised by Trim Tourism Network, it is a free festival, packed full of entertainment for all the family.
It will feature music, arts and crafts, culture, art workshops, children’s entertainment, Boyne Valley Food producers and so much more.
"We have received overwhelming support for our festival and we would like to thank our main sponsor Trim Branch - Drogheda Credit Union and all our sponsors, our community, our volunteers, performers, Meath Co Council, Boyne Valley Tourism and Failte Ireland for their support," said Michael Hughes, chairperson.
"It’s a huge commitment from all our team who work tirelessly to bring this festival to Trim. We are delighted to welcome back Race Around Ireland as partners in our festival for their 10th anniversary. This year, Alan Heary and his team have changed their finish line to Trim because of the work they are doing and we are very grateful to Alan and his team for doing this as this will increase bed nights in Trim during this duration. “
It is set to be a fun day, starting with the Boyne Adventure Race, a 32km race including running, kayaking, cycling and a rough terrain run, followed by some early morning yoga by Peter Walsh Yoga to set you right for the day ahead.
Trim Salmon of Knowledge Festival is in partnership with the 10th annual celebrations of Race Around Ireland, part of the National Heritage Week and Discover Boyne Valley Flavours celebrations.
The festival was shortlisted in the 2018 All Ireland Community and Council Awards (LAMA) under the heading of Arts/Culture and became one of the top eight festivals in Ireland under this heading narrowly missing out on the top spot.
The Boyne Adventure Race starts the day, setting off in two waves, starting at 8am. 230 participants will line up at Trim Castle Wall and prepare for the race, Peter Walsh will have all the participants warmed up and some well-known personalities will be taking part in the race including TV3’s Deric Ó h’Artagáin, who will also feature the race on his YouTube and other social media channels.
The race itself is a challenge over 32kms , starting off at the Barbican at Trim Castle with a run through the historical Porchfields taking in sites like the Yellow Steeple and the Newtown Monuments, participants then get on their bikes and cycle out to Tubertynan Quarry for 2.5kms of a quarry scramble on foot through some rough terrain , when they’re finished there, participants are back on the bike to head back for Trim, arriving back at Trim Castle where they have to get into a kayak for an approximate 1km kayak, then it’s off the water back to land for a sprint finish back to where it all begun.
“This race was sold out eight weeks prior to the event happening which is virtually unheard of, so the interest in our type of adventure race is huge and we plan to increase our numbers for 2019,” said James Murray, vice chairperson, TTN. 
The official opening at 11am will be performed by Kevin Farrell and his son Josh, who have recently shot to fame for their action against bullying.
There are some new areas added to the festival for 2018, including an art area, including live art displays and workshops, a pop up Gaeltacht by Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht and a second trad stage where Dionsé and Coscán will be among the acts to perform.
The main performers on the day include Ladies in the Blues, Trim Drama Group, Trim Musical Society, Clara Rose, Dionsé, Coscán, Celtic Blondes, Gerry Tully, The Sandmen, Leah Barniville, The Duffy Brothers, The Durkin Family , Anam and more . A 2018 production by local Trim Drama Group and Musical Society will take place live on Stage 2 and features the Salmon of Knowledge along with some modern day characters. Your Man’s Puppets will entertain families with two special showings.
At 5.15, the specially recorded  'A Message to Hunanity,' a re-recording from the famous Charlie Chaplin speech - by Irish actor Patrick Bergin will take place followed then by a live performance of ‘The Sound of Silence ‘ by Kevin Farrell.
Just afterwards, a flash mob gathering will pay tribute to the late Dolores O’Riordan, singing the Cranberries song 'Zombie ' - the idea is to create the largest gathering and pay homage to Dolores.
On Saturday,  the evening before the festival, they will also show a movie live on stage 1 , ‘Darby O’Gill and the Little People‘. 
This will take place at  6.30pm where families will chill out on beanbags at the foot of Trim Castle and enjoy the start of the festivities.
The event is funded by sponsorship, local businesses, local fundraising, local representatives, Meath County Council, Failte Ireland and Boyne Valley Tourism and is supported by the organising committee, local groups/clubs/societies, businesses, volunteers, the OPW, Meath County Council, Boyne Valley Tourism and Failte Ireland.
“Our festival is the result of the commitment and goodwill from local businesses, groups and clubs, representatives, volunteers and individuals. Trim is a vibrant area and we are very lucky to have Trim Castle right at our doorstep. We thank Patricia Ryan and her team at the OPW for their commitment to our festival and allow us to once again use green area in front of Trim Castle.
We are delighted to be part of Heritage Week where ‘sharing a story ‘ is the theme and we’re sharing our story this year in Irish and English. It’s great to be able to bring a free festival for everyone to enjoy,” said David Gorey, PRO. 
Drogheda Credit Union Chairperson Geraldine Gilsenan said: “Sponsoring these massive community events ties in with the Credit Unions’ not-for-profit ethos and role at the very heart of our communities. 
The Credit Union consistently aim to make our communities a better place by supporting community enhancing events and initiatives and we identified the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann and Trim Salmon of Knowledge as unique opportunities to become part of a wider initiative showcasing the North East of Ireland and the Boyne Valley as a place of beauty and culture.”