Excitement builds for Clondra Harbour and Heritage Festival

As summertime rolls around making the most of the long evenings and good weather is at the forefront of everyone's mind. Organisers of the Clondra Harbour and Heritage Festival will be beaming at the long range weather forecast with warm weather set to continue for this year's festival.
The gathering has grown from strength to strength in the last few years, evolving from a community favourite to an event that attracts people from far and wide.

One of the organisers of the Clondra Festival, Niamh McPartland, says the gathering has a packed programme this year: “We have activities for everyone, from young to old and everyone in between,” she told the Leader.

Music, activities, fun and craic are on the menu for the event. Though Richmond Harbour in Clondra is the hub for the festival there are a host of activities on Saturday and Sunday.

“We will have zorbing, paddle boat trips on the Canal, wellie throwing, a duck race, live music and lots more to bring the harbour to life on Saturday. The Sunday programme is just as packed and many of the events will continue with the addition of things like horse and carriage rides, the day in the bog, bog canoeing and a lorry pull with local teams,” Niamh outlines.

The day on the bog is one of the features of this year's festival that is sure to spark a lot of interest. Those in attendance will get the chance to try their hand at the traditional method of turf-cutting. Slanes will be provided, as well as refreshments for all Slane Cutters. There will be storytelling, arts and crafts displays along the canal, and canoe and paddle board demonstrations.
To complement the day’s events, The Richmond Inn will be hosting local artists including Dermot Hegarty, Seamus Farrell, Pascal Flaherty, Sean Hussey, Sean Sweeney and Mick Fenlon.

Niamh says there will be lots of fun events: “People are looking forward to the dunk tank. This is a dunking machine where a volunteer sitting on a collapsible bench and people throw a ball to splash them into the water. We have lined up a couple of 'volunteers'. Johnny Casey, Aodh Dervin, and a couple of other surprised guests will be in the seat. We will definitely have a lady to sit in,” Niamh says of the novel game.

The Clondra Harbour and Heritage Festival is supported by Longford County Council and Waterways Ireland.