Ballynacargy ready for festival - good weather or not!
Ballynacargy will be a busy spot this week, with an art exhibition opening on Thursday night, and on Sunday, the town"s annual Canal Festival.The Canal Festival is a huge event, and Tom Price, of the organising committee says that because a lot of the events are water-based, most things should still go ahead, even if there is rain of the sort seen last weekend, which led to the cancellation of Tullamore Show.Approximately 32 barges are expected to be in Ballynacargy on Sunday. The barges are to set off on Friday evening from Nanny Quinn"s in Thomastown, and to be in Coolnahay on Saturday, where there is to be a barbecue, live music, a dance floor, and all sorts of craic.Those going along are asked to bring their own food, which can be cooked on a barbecue to be provided at Coolnahay, and to bring their own beverages as well.On Sunday at about 1 to 1.30, the barges will be in Ballynacargy, and the chairman of the Festival Committee, Watson Mills, will formally welcome them to the village.Along with the barges, and the excitement their arrival brings, there will be a host of other entertainment options around the village all day, reveals Mr. Price.'We have a vintage display around the village and the harbour, or vintage cars and tractors, and there will be fun for the kids, with duck-racing on the fast-flowing river beside the canal.'We"re also having a salmon-roast on the harbour, and there will be a bottle stall, and mouse racing.'There will also be some local history made when musician Mick Foster and the members of the Frank Gavigan Comhaltas Ceolteoirí Éireann group play live music from a raft in the harbour at 4 p.m.'After that there"s a kids" disco in the street with music off the gig rig, and from 9 p.m. until 11 p.m. Pete Mulkerins will play from the gig rig, and there will be a dance floor laid for those who"d like to dance.'All the local pubs are putting on music, and the night will round off with the huge raffle for which top prize is a 32 inch plasma TV. There"s also a trailer of turf to be won, and a variety of other prizes.A number of people from around the area have barges according to Tom, including Dr. Patrick O"Kelly, Emmet Sherry and Christy Davitt, and they are likely to be among those bringing their barges to Ballynacargy.From Ballynacargy, the barges will then move on to Abbeyshrule and then Ballymahon over the course of the following week.Art exhibitionMeanwhile, Watson Mills is to open the art exhibition 'Triangle' featuring the works of artists Patricia Baynes, Mary Evans and Mary Weir, which is running at the Hazel Gallery in Ballynacargy from this Thursday until August 24.All are welcome along from Friday between 2-6 p.m. from Friday August 15 to Sunday August 17, and from Saturday August 23 to August 24 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Further information is available from Patricia Baynes at 087 2853259.