Carlow Town to host the Pan Celtic International Festival for another two years – ‘It's an honour'
The aim of the festival is to celebrate and promote the culture and languages of the six Celtic nations of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man.
Carlow has hosted the Pan Celtic International Festival on a number of occasions over the course of the festival's history, including in 2023, 2024 and 2025, despite the fact that the festival usually changes locations every two years.
'The beautiful vibrant town of Carlow is a favoured destination among all the Celtic delegates and regular attendees of the festival for a myriad of reasons', said Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha, Cathaoirleach of the International Pan Celtic Council.
'Not least the heartfelt 'céad míle fáilte' we receive from the people of Ceatharlach, the excellent venues and facilities in the town and the generous support of Carlow County Council.'
The Pan Celtic International Festival involves a broad programme of events, from storytelling and lectures to singing and dance competitions.
The common language spoken during the five-day event is English, making it accessible for fluent speakers and beginners, alike.
'This exciting announcement is a significant step for Carlow that further establishes us as a cultural landmark on the Irish map,' said Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Cllr Fergal Browne.
'Carlow town is an ideal location for this festival, it is so compact that everything is within walking distance, making it easy for all to navigate.'
Despite not being in a Gaeltacht region, the festival brings Irish and Celtic language speaking communities together in the middle of Carlow every Easter.
'The Pan Celtic International Festival typically changes location every two years and after three successful years, we are proud to have been asked to host for two more years,' said Mayor of Carlow, Cllr Fintan Phelan.
'We will endeavour to bring this very special Celtic celebration from strength to strength over the coming years.'
Speaking on behalf of the local organising festival committee, Bríde de Róiste said it has been an 'honour' to host the event on several occasions over the past fifteen years.
'With the Irish language on the crest of a wave in Ceatharlach, coupled with the tremendous support of the entire community and the backing of the local authorities, the town is a perfect fit for this prestigious festival,' she said.
'We know that we can rise to even greater heights in 2026 and 2027. Tá áthas an domhain orainn!"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
10 of the strangest creatures found on UK beaches this summer – from glowing worms to baked bean blobs
Plus, TripAdvisor's best 25 beaches across Europe LET'S SEA 10 of the strangest creatures found on UK beaches this summer – from glowing worms to baked bean blobs ROCKPOOLS and the shallow waters of Britain's beaches are home to some of the most unusual creatures you've probably never heard of. If you know what to look for, you can discover these bizarre little critters yourself. 11 There are a number of odd sea creatures you can find on UK beaches, including a Sea Mouse Credit: Alamy Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here From spiky, potato-like beings to sea worms that look more like a sweet, there is a whole world marine life to investigate along the UK's coastlines, according to seaside experts at Simply Sea View. Sea Mouse First up is the Sea Mouse - a small creature, that some find cute and others find fascinating. This little creature isn't a mouse as we know it, it is a type of worm, which often gets washed up on beaches after a storm. Read more on travel inspo ON THE UP I'm a travel editor - the flight, train & ferry upgrades really worth the money You might be able to spot it by its glistening bristles or iridescent colouring. Essentially, it is known to look a bit like a LED-lit hedgehog. If you want to find a Sea Mouse, you should head to beaches in East Wales or Cornwall. Tompot Blenny After the sea washes out and leaves rockpools full of water and creatures, you might be able to spot a Tompot Blenny. These squidgy-looking fish have big bulging eyes, think lips and even frilly horn-like features on their heads. Typically, they are orange or brown in colour, with different patterns all over. The alien-like fish often hides in crevices and corners of rockpools, so you may want to sit still for a while with a sandwich and drink to catch a glimpse of the creature. The good news is that they can be found on rocky shorelines across the entire country. The English seaside town with no arcades or rides but named the best in the UK 11 In rockpools, you might be lucky to spot a Tompot Blenny Credit: Alamy 11 Candy Striped Flatworms resemble mint humbug sweets Credit: Alamy Candy Striped Flatworm The thought of candy and flatworms don't really go together, but the Candy Striped Flatworm looks a bit like a mint humbug. Typically, they are cream in colour and have a darker central stripe, and then fainter stipes running parallel. Essentially, they look like a fancy slug - but are a great creature to find. You will find them along UK coastlines in rocky and muddy areas at low tides. Brown Sea Cucumber Getting its name from the long green vegetable, Brown Sea Cucumbers look the same, just a different colour. They are yellow and brown blobs, but do have frilly tentacles that appear when they are eating. It is best to avoid touching them as many sea cucumbers produce a toxin called holothurin, which can be irritating or even harmful to humans. They can be found along many coastal areas of the UK, including Cornwall in particular. 11 Sea cucumbers get their name after the vegetable Credit: AP 11 Sea Gooseberries look like jelly and can wash up on the beach Credit: Alamy Sea Gooseberries Named after gooseberries due to their size and shape, these small spherical clear balls are actually small invertebrates. Even though they resemble jellyfish, they are a different species. Normally, they only measure up to 2.5cm and have eight rows of hair-like features. Amazingly, they also have two long tentacles that can measure up to 50cm. Some species even have a luminescence, occasionally lighting up the waves at night. They are often seen in UK waters during the summer months and occasionally wash up on the beach. 11 You also often see Sea Potatoes washed up on the beach Credit: Alamy Sea Potatoes This is another creature that looks like its name. Sea Potatoes are cream-coloured but are covered in fur-like spines. They usually reach between 6cm and 9cm in size and are a type of sea urchin. Sea Potatoes can be found around the UK buried in sandy and muddy seabeds. However, you are more likely to see them washed up on the beach as an empty shell, without the spines. 11 Baked Bean Sea Squirts get their name after the much-loved tinned food Credit: Alamy Baked Bean Sea Squirt It isn't hard to picture what Baked Bean Sea Squirt looks like thanks to its name... But these odd orange blobs that look like a splattering of baked beans under the water can often be found glued to a rock. They are actually a type of sea squirt that filters seawater. The odd sight can often be found along the Scottish coasts, such as Loch Fyne and some southern coasts. 11 Flame Shell Reefs have long jelly-like tentacles and other creatures often use them for cover Credit: Alamy Flame Shell Reefs Imagine two halves of a shell still attached, with fuzzy orange fur like Oscar the Grouch from the TV show Sesame Street and that is pretty much a Flame Shell Reef. These little creature are among the UK's most colourful and are a small orange mollusc that builds nests using its fire-coloured tentacles. Other sea creatures will often hide under Flame Shell Reefs too. They can be found in Loch Carron and Loch Alsh, both in Scotland. 11 You can even see rays which are harmless to humans Credit: Alamy Undulate Ray For kids who love stingrays, looking for an Undulate Ray might be the perfect task. These rays feature elaborate patterns on their backs, with dark lines, spots and splodges. This helps them to camouflage into the sand. And they are generally completely harmless to humans. You most likely won't be able to find these guys unless you are swimming or snorkelling in UK waters. 11 And an unusual jellyfish species with a 'sail' Credit: Alamy By-the-Wind Sailor Many people might walk straight past a By-the-Wind Sailor mistaking it for some washed up piece of plastic. But actually, these clear jellyfish with a sail will float on the shore and often wash up in large numbers on our coasts. Luckily, they aren't dangerous. They get their name from drift on the surface of the ocean but then get washed up during storms. It is coming up to the ideal time to spot them as well, as they are usually spotted on UK beaches between September and March. Here Are TripAdvisor's Top 25 Beaches in Europe THESE are the top 25 beaches in Europe that you should put on your bucket list... Elafonissi Beach, Crete, Greece Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal Playa de Muro Beach, Mallorca, Spain Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy Playa de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica, France Tropea Beach, Calabria, Italy Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland Falassarna Beach, Crete, Greece Anthony Quinn Bay, Rhodes, Greece Spiaggia La Cinta, Sardinia, Italy Playa de Cofete, Fuerteventura, Spain İztuzu Plajı, Dalyan, Turkey Cala Mariolu, Sardinia, Italy Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentura, Spain Praia da Nazare, Nazare, Portugal Konyaaltı Plajları, Antalya, Turkey Konnos Bay, Ayia Napa, Cyprus Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, UK Praia dos Três Irmãos, Alvor, Portugal Praia do Barril, Tavira, Portugal Gorleston-on-Sea Beach, UK Makronissos Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus Plage de Santa Giulia, Corsica, France If you enjoy rock-pooling, the UK is also home to a stunning park with its own beach that visitors say is like 'being in another world'. Plus, you can find incredible lava sea pools that are just four hours from the UK.
Irish Independent
33 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Kerry island's music festival to feature eight concerts across four days
Organisers have promised something for everyone at this year's festival, which will be attended by guest artists from countries including the USA, Taiwan, the UK as well as Ireland. As well as many other events, the celebration will feature eight concerts over four days. The opening concert, at the Church of St John the Baptist on Thursday, August 14, will focus on 'The Kerry Polka and More'. The event will see string quartets from Bohemia and Scandinavia collaborate with acclaimed Irish musicians, concertina player Jack Talty and fiddler Ultan O'Brien. That concert will be followed by 'Silk & Strings', which will see renowned pipa and guqin player Chia-Yin Hung perform music from southeast Asia. The following day, at the Church of Immaculate Conception in Knightstown, will see 'Music By The Sea' take place. This concert will see tenor Gavan Ring perform, accompanied with strings and piano. A family concert will be held at Valentia Island Lighthouse on the morning of August 16, before the much-loved Musical Map experience, featuring short pop-up free events around the island, takes place. The 'Folk Effects' concert will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the evening of August 16. It is billed as an evening of folk-inspired melodies with music by Arnold Bax, Brahms, featured Irish composer Siobhán Cleary and operatic areas by Gavan Ring and the festival's string artists. This event will be followed by another late night session, with songs from Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass, billed as two giants of modern music. A lunchtime concert will take place on August 17, at the Church of St Dorarca and St Teresa, in Chapeltown. It promises a unique fusion of eastern and western musical traditions. The festival finale concert will be held that evening at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, where Vivaldi's concerti for strings, alongside gems from the chamber music repertoire, will be performed. The Chamber Music on Valentia Festival will take place at venues across Valentia Island from August 14 to 17.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Succession star Brian Cox: Cillian Murphy would make an 'interesting' James Bond
Actor Brian Cox has said Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy would be an "interesting" choice to play James Bond. In an interview with Radio Times, the Succession star discussed the upcoming second series of reality competition 007: Road To A Million, in which he returns as The Controller, the stern and sardonic taskmaster. The Prime Video series follows eight contestants as they are dropped into the high-stakes world of James Bond, where they take on missions that push them to the limits, testing them physically and psychologically, for the chance to win £1 million (€1.1 million). Of the role of the 007 agent, Cox said: "It's only natural that it goes through changes because we start off young and end up old. "Is Cillian Murphy being recommended? I think that would be interesting. "I like Cillian. He's very real, he's got no crap about him." Amazon MGM Studios previously announced that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will write the script for the next James Bond film, which will be directed by Dune's Denis Villeneuve. Irish actor Murphy played the lead role in Knight's TV series of hard-drinking gang leader Tommy Shelby.
