The Third Colgan Heritage Weekend takes place in the Colgan Community and Resource Centre, Carndonagh, Inishowen this weekend from Friday 29th June to Sunday 1st July.
All members of the committee have worked diligently to prepare a packed and attractive programme of activities to suit all ages over the weekend.
On Friday evening at 7pm there will be a presentation of prizes to school children for folklore competition work.
This will be followed by offical opening and book launch by Irish Times Journalist and writer John Waters. John is eagery anticipating his visit. This event will be followed by music and a reception.
Once again the hikers will enjoy a most invitorating walk with Dessie Mc Callion as guide at 9.30am on Saturday morning. Bus will leave the Colgan Hall and booking is essential at the Colgan Hall (phone number 074 93 29377)as this attraction proved very popular last year. Please wear comfortable footwear and clothing.
There will be Folklore exhibition at 11am on Saturday in the Colgan Hall. This attraction will be of great interest to adults and children alike.There will be a display of work from the 1937 school collection and also a display from present day school folklore competition work of children from all the local schools. A presentation will be made to people still alive who contributed to the 1937 collection. There will also be readings by Carndonagh Book Club. Locals will be able to reminise at times gone by with the photo display and school reunion book display. The Carndonagh Book Store, Malin Road, is also open for business over the weekend and have an extensive range of books to suit everyone.
Carndonagh was once a market town where housewives and farmers met and finalised deals on buying a selling home produce. We are having a street market at 12noon on the Saturday with lots of interesting stalls. Feel free to dress up in your shawl and bonnet. Another highlight on the saturday is the Carnival parade through the town at 4pm. This will be a colourful and spectular parade full of Celtic imagery, inspired by the inhabitants of Inishowen down through the ages, from pirates and pagans to farmers and fisherfolk. The evening closes with a film – The Way with Martin at 8.30pm in the Colgan Hall
A special and exciting addition to the Colgan Heritage Weekend programme this year is a contribution by ‘The History Links Project.’ Stephen Mc Namee is Project Coordinator of the History Links Project and will present a two hour media workshop on oral recording on Sunday 1st July from 12 noon to 2pm. Participants will learn how to use the recorder, interview skill and editing recorded data. Places are limited, so for more information contact Jeanette on 074 93 29377.
The programme will resume at 4.30pm after the Blessing of the Graves. Stephen will give a comprehensive lecture on oral recording. Entitled ‘Reminiscences are Part of History’ Stephen will portray how our memories of life in the ‘recent past’ are now a valuable source of local history. Later there will be an interesting film on smuggling which will give a witty insight on smuggling across the border when we had the customs and excise patrol.
The afternoon will conclude with a very concise and comprehensive talk by Professor Paul Mc Kevitt of Magee University. Paul’s lecture will be entitled ‘Digital Storytelling meets Creative Technologies’ and is a very suitable conclusion to our afternoon. Paul is no newcomer to the Heritage Weekend having presented valuable research over the past two years which was very well received by packed audiences.
The grand finale will be a concert the Colgan hall at 8pm. on Sunday, entitled Memories of the Musicals. The concert will be a feast of local talent from past musicals and this production will be in the capable hands of Kathleen Morris, Dr Helen Haughey and Margaret O’Kane. This will prove a very enjoyable night out.
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