Heart of ireland festival says hi to the world

“It’s a real testament to have identified a gap and an opportunity to create a game changing festival which has the potential to re-ignite local, national and international interest in Mullingar, its people, the place, and stories of which there are many to be told,” said Culture Night founder, Grainne Millar, at the international launch of the Heart of Ireland Festival set to take place in Mullingar on July 11 and 12.

The grand unveiling of the festival’s anthem, aptly named Heart of Ireland, written by Noel O’Farrell, was the big surprise on the evening, along with the art installation – a giant copper tree by local artist Gerry Heslin.

The Heart of Ireland Festival which is set to take place in Mullingar on July 11 and 12, is an international competition in search of someone with a heart of gold.

Festival founder, Maria Bourke, said the nomination process is now officially open and they are looking for men and women aged 50 years and over, who Irish or who are Irish by ancestry.

“The ultimate award is the heart of gold. We are looking for men and women with good hearts who do their best daily to make the world a better place,” explained Maria.

“They enjoy a well rounded life, balancing their personal passions with good deeds. They are the people who bring out the best in everyone around them. They are the doers, they connect people and make things happen.

“They give credit where credit is due. They do the right thing when no one’s looking. They are people you know you can approach for help, the people who support you when you struggle, and are quick to celebrate your successes. And they represent what it is to be Irish.”

Grainne Millar was struck by Maria’s “get up and go” attitude, and said her energy, passion and hard work in bringing together the many stakeholders and partners in the community were second to none.

“Indeed, if you look at the successful regeneration of any town or city across Ireland or even Europe, the most sustainable are the ones that are driven by this bottom-up activity. By people on the ground, by people like Maria and her daughter Melanie, who not only champion and celebrate what is unique and distinct about a place, but really understand it and know how to turn it into an experience that people will actually want to come and visit.”

Grainne said something like the Heart of Ireland Festival would succeed in connecting the Irish diaspora and that if it could even tap into the one percent of 70 million people worldwide, it could be “real winner”.

“Given the fact that Ireland has experienced a really successful year in tourism so far, I think that can only go up and I think the opportunity now for the Heart of Ireland Festival to position Mullingar as a must-see destination on the tourism map.”

Pat O’Neill, president of Midlands Gateway Chamber of Commerce, was another of the guest speakers and he felt the Heart of Ireland Festival was not just important for Mullingar but for the midlands as a whole.

“It’s a fantastic concept, everything about it. I just love it. Maria’s imagination goes far beyond the bounds of Mullingar and right into the midlands. And so as Midlands Gateway Chamber president we’d love to sponsor it as a midlands business community,” pledged Mr O’Neill.

“It’s about networking, partnership and working together. And I couldn’t think of a better example than the Hi Festival. We have 600 businesses behind us and each one of them can all play their own small part in supporting this organisation and truly I think the businesses and the families will benefit greatly from the success of this enterprise.”

Stating that the midlands can often be a forgotten part of the country, Pat said the people who live and work here know what a fantastic part of the world it is.

“We just need to show it off more often. Maybe it’s a quiet little secret and we really want to keep it to ourselves, but really we would all benefit from being known as a good place to live and work. And again this event is going to be a great way to do that, to make that happen. It is a wonderful place.

“Maria and Melanie (Lynch) have spotted a golden opportunity for the region and what’s more they’ve grabbed the opportunity with unbelievable enthusiasm.

“There’s so many strands to this idea, so many concepts. I think that in 10 years’ time we’ll be looking back and saying this is where it all started. Some people’s hard work, enthusiasm and imagination have led to something really brilliant for the midlands.”

Looking at how a similar event in a “faraway Tralee” can bring in 50,000 visitors and worldwide coverage, Mr O’Neill said the Heart of Ireland could be bigger and better.

“I think something that has more dimensions to it and that is based in a more accessible place could be worth more. It won’t be long before we realise that vision. I think it will be a rock solid fixture in the calendar of our countryside. I want to congratulate the Heart of Ireland team and wish you all the success and offer you all the support possible.”

Mai Quaid, president of Active Retirement Ireland, said she was honoured to be part of the launch of the Heart of Ireland Festival and has already toured the country telling her members all about the festival. “I’d like to thank Maria and Melanie for introducing the concept of the Heart of Ireland to Active Retirement Ireland. I think it’s very exciting. I travel around the country and we have promoted this with all our members. We have 25,000 members, we have over 560 groups.”

- Nominations for the Heart of Ireland competition are now open and you can download the form from heartofireland.ie.