THE annual Five Lamps Arts Festival gets underway next week and locals got a chance to hear what’s going to be happening at a launch event in the elegant setting of Dublin’s Custom House on Wednesday, March 8.
Author and Journalist, Victoria Mary Clarke, compèred the evening together with festival Artistic Director, Roisin Lonergan, representing Marino College of Further Education who co-share sponsorship of the event with Dublin City
Council and Waterways Ireland.
Now in its tenth year, the festival runs from March 30 to April 6 with a packed programme of events. A number of guest speakers participating in the festival gave some detail on their events at the launch.
First up was Benny Cullen from Waterways Ireland who are sponsoring the Royal Canal Big Day, which runs from April 1-4.
Dubhlinn, a 10-person heritage canal boat, will provide free short tours on the canal with music on board throughout the day.
Puppeteer Julie Rose McCormack then treated the audience to an excerpt from her show, which runs in Marino College itself and in Charleville Mall Library at the Royal Canal on April 1 and 4 respectively.
The next speaker was Dylan Joyce who hails from the North Wall area. Dylan will present an exhibition of photographs depicting young people from the area swimming and diving in the local docks and the River Liffey with a number of
the photos taken underwater.
The exhibition is sure to be fascinating for anyone who’s witnessed these daredevils diving off the
bridges and docks in their area.
There followed a chat with local artist Fionnuala Halpin, about her work with the Swan Youth group, Then Declan Byrne from the Dublin Dockworkers Preservation Society gave a flavour of the Dublin Dockers In Their Own Words night (happening on April 1 in Lloyds pub on Amiens Street) entertaining the audience with a few hilarious anecdotes from the glory days when over 5,000 locals were employed on the docks.
The final speaker was Johnny Sheridan who’s collaborating with the wonderful Stoney Road Press Community Artists Print Exhibition running in East Wall for the festival’s duration.
Entertainment on the night was provided by the Clarion Wind flautists and the Dublin Ukulele Collective who livened proceedings with a rousing performance in the Custom House before going on to entertain guests at the post launch reception in The Brew Dock on Amiens Street.
Most events are free admission and details of all are available at www.fivelampsarts.ie.
With everything from music gigs to family fun shows on offer, there’s definitely something for everyone at this year’s festival.
REPORT: Tony Considine