23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Sunshine and smiles all round as seaside Wexford village revives summer festival
There were smiles and laughter galore in Duncannon, Co. Wexford this week, as local representatives joined residents from the village to celebrate the launch of this year's festival, which has been missed by many in its absence.
The revival of the annual festival has been announced by the Duncannon Village Renewal Committee, with an extensive number of events to be held on Saturday, July 26. During the launch, Director Clare Power highlighted plans for the many opportunities for the public to discover and enjoy the treasures of at Duncannon's golden-sands beach, its historic military fort and the ocean shoreline.
Ms Power also highlighted plans for a grand finale, that will include an open-air concert on the village green by the hugely popular band, the Controversial All Stars, and a near-shore fireworks display by Rocket Pyrotechnics. 'With the great groundswell of community support we've received, we're bringing back our beloved annual festival and building it up over the next couple of years,' Clare added.
The Duncannon Festival will also include food for curious minds, and hungry stomachs, which will be fed by the festival partner, SEA School, where children and their parents will be encouraged to explore the marine treasures of Duncannon's rich shoreline while having a lot of fun doing so. Seal Rescue Ireland will also be on hand to help them learn about protecting marine mammals, with the goal of educating all about the steps to be taken to protect and care for waterways, coastline and sea. All efforts are designed to contribute to Duncannon's campaign to win back its Blue Flag status after an absence of 17 years.
The hunger will well and truly be kept at bay by Duncannon's great local businesses including Roche's Bar, The Strand Bar, The Wild Rose, Luca's Fish & Chip Shop and The Shop at Shoreline, all of which are located in the heart of the village. In addition, the public will have a great opportunity to sample and buy local food and beverages as well as handcrafts and other products at Duncannon Fort during the day, which is currently undergoing extensive works under the steer of District Manager, Alan Fitzhenry.
'It's an absolute honour to be standing here today, both as your local TD and as the Ceann Comhairle,' Deputy Murphy said as she addressed those in attendance. 'It's a huge honour to represent Wexford,' she continued, as she commended the sense of 'community spirit' in Duncannon, along with the driven commitment from locals to taking on the responsibility of operating the festival.
The Ceann Comhairle also highlighted that the future of the county 'is in great hands' as the artwork for the festival was unveiled at the event, which was drawn and designed by primary school student, Eve Butler.
The attendance of local Councillor, Marty Murphy, and Deputy George Lawlor was also acknowledged by the Ceann Comhairle who stated that 'it's a testament to the community spirit that Duncannon is getting support from the local county council, which is great and it means there's great organisation and commitment shown.'
Deputy Murphy said she looks forward to seeing works and projects in the area being carried out by the council in coming to their fruition, and reiterated her support for Duncannon Fort to become the fifth tourist attraction in the Ring of Hook initiative.
On a personal note, the Deputy concluded by saying: 'I had some friends at the weekend, who said 'it was like heaven' here in south Wexford. The sun shone, the people were so friendly and they thought the hospitality was 'just fabulous'. That's what we need to keep in mind as we continue to push to put it on the map."
