Are you ready for two weeks of music theatre, visual arts, film, literature and much more right on your doorstep?
Donegal’s largest arts festival the Earagail Arts is a bilingual (Irish and English language), multidisciplinary arts festival which takes place every July throughout North and West County Donegal on the North West Atlantic seaboard of Ireland.
Traolach ó Fionnáin, Arts Officer for Donegal County Council has seen the Earagail Arts Festival grow from an idea into what is now one of the longest established arts festivals in Ireland.
“Donegal County Council established the Earagail Arts Festival in 1989 as a primary focus and showcase, for arts activities in the county. The festival was incorporated as a limited company in 2004 and the event is now managed and administered on behalf of Donegal County Council by Earagail Arts Festival Management Company Limited,” said Traolach.
2014 marks the 26th year of the festival. And in yearly competition with the previous 25 other Earagail art festivals they are in constant competition with themselves. And this year is no different after releasing a spectacular programme that could quite easily rival a festival in any big city.
Talking about this year’s event, Traolach urges people to come along to the festival, which in his own words he describes as having ‘something for everyone.’
With impressive shows such as ‘I Do’ a play giving audiences the chance to be a fly on the wall in the build up to a wedding, and the much anticipated ‘Fiesta’. The Fiesta was one of the finest dancehalls in Ireland, where the Clipper Carlton, the Miami Showband and the Mighty Avons played fast and slow sets through the years and the Earagail Arts Festival is set to reincarnate it so we can get a look at those roller disco years, Traolach has a point.
‘This is what the festival does best – creating a context where it, An Grianán Theatre and Donegal County Council can come together to commission and present new artistic work, start to finish’.
“I’m really looking forward to the play ‘I Do’. The notion of a play happening on a wedding morning in six different rooms in a hotel, where the audience is guided through each one in turn, is quite amazing. Anyone who has been in that situation will know precisely what goes on in their own room, but the chance to see what’s happening everywhere else is too good to pass up. The chaos of the last 20 minutes before a wedding, he laughed.
“This year we are linking in with a number of different festivals, including the new Swell Festival of Music and Arts in Aranmore, Festifál in Falcarragh and The Tory Lights Festival.
“Initiating and continuing to provide support to Earagail Arts Festival is a big part of the Council’s arts development work. The partnerships that have been built up over the years with other arts groups and other smaller festivals that happen at the same time as Earagail have been invaluable to us and have boosted our county’s tourism year after year.”
“Here’s hoping this year’s hardest decision is what event we should attend,” smiled Traolach.
Earagail Arts Fun Festival Facts
This years Earagail Arts Festival takes place from 12-26 July.
There are 55 events taking place
The Earagail Arts Festival will visit 16 towns and play in 25 venues all across the county.
For more information on the festival and for a full programme of events go to – www.eaf.ie/
The Donegal Council Blog 