Ireland Shuts Down

Festival Fever Grips The Nation During The Holiday Weekend

Ireland went on holiday this week, as shops and businesses across the country closed down and allowed 'festival fever' to take hold.

Across Ireland a huge variety of festivals and fleadhs, catering to every taste, got underway, and thousands took advantage of the Bank Holiday weekend to earn an extended vacation.

The Galway races started on Monday and ran for an entire week, with thousands of tourists, Irish and foreign, placing millions of euros in bets everyday.

The event, one of the biggest annual summer pilgrimages in Ireland, attracts most of the country's political leaders, who use it as an opportunity to make new contacts and renew old acquaintances.

The heat wave which Ireland is experiencing also seen huge numbers of people turn out for smaller festivals up and down the country.

Waterford's established street theatre festival, Spraoi, drew a crowd of almost 100,000 people at the weekend.

About 200 free outdoor performances are staged around the city, culminating in a huge Spraoi parade on Sunday

Street performers also formed the backbone of Dublin's Merrion Square festival, which played host to the World Street Performance Championships for the first time ever this year.

Ten acts including sword-swallowers, yo-yo experts and jugglers competed on Saturday for the title of best street performers.

Dublin also hosted the Afro-Carnival in Wolfe Tone park, a reflection of the city's growing multi-culturalism.

Samba bands and Reggae artists were among the acts taking to the stage.

Donegal's Ballyshannon Folk Festival, the oldest of its kind in Ireland, also pulled in the crowds when it started at the weekend.

"It is getting harder," said Ballyshannon Folk Festival organiser, Mike McGrath.

"We try to get a good variation to suit everyone and work harder and keep trying to get that perfect mould.

"There are always new ideas that have to be looked at".

Other smaller festivals took place in Sligo, Wexford, Lough Derg and Louth.

One festival that ditched its pub theme five years ago is Greystones, Co. Wicklow.

"The reason we get so many people coming now is because we provide a safe and happy environment for people," said festival director Grainne McLoughlin.

"The country's big enough for all the festivals, gone are the days of people only wanting to go and drink in the pub".

More than 20,000 were expected to attend.

In Mullingar, an electronic music event, pulled in a crowd of at least 30,000 when it opened its gates on Friday.

For most of the week it seemed as though every town and village in Ireland was holding a festival of some kind.