Celebrate community spirit in Brideswell

The Brideswell Pattern Festival has moved from the traditional one day event to a much expanded five day festival running on the last weekend in July from Thursday, July 26, to Monday, July 30. The festival will open in O'Connell's Pub on Thursday with a traditional music session. On Friday night, July 27, the Festival hosts Seamus O'Rourke's new play 'The Sand Park' in the festival marquee. The Sand Park is the sometimes hilarious account of how James Anthony Lowery, a man in his mid fifties, came to terms with the death of his son, 15 years ago and now more recently, his wife Rose. It's a play about rural Irish life and the way we cope with the inevitable; it's a play about how life and death and humour and love and sadness all live in the same house together and then a strange thing happens… If this isn't enough to whet your appetite Brideswell will also have De 2 Willies performing throughout the night in the marquee. Tickets are €10 and can be purchased from any committee member. Doors open at 8pm and the play starts at 8.30pm. For tickets or further information on the play call Ultan on 087 6792479. Check out some of the footage on www.brideswellpatternfestival.com The following day, Saturday 28, boasts a number of festival highlights including a fair day in the village from 12 noon to 5pm with categories of prizes as follows: Horse Section - Best Mare & Foal of the Fair, Best Foal of the Fair; Sheep Section -best pen of hoggets (6 or more); best pen of ewe lambs (6 or more); best pen of factory lambs (6 or more); best pen of store lambs (6 or more); best ram lamb of the fair and best ram of the fair; Fowl Section - best display of fowl; Vegetable Section - best vegetable basket. All are welcome to participate in the above categories and organisers hope to have lots of competitors on the day. If you're not there you can't sell or buy so come out and please support on the day. Also taking place in the village there will be a walk in association with the local defibrillator group as well as the Down N'Dirty obstacle course and a heritage cycle, which will take place on Saturday at 4pm in association with the Dysart Men's group. This eleven-mile cycle will commence in Brideswell and bring you through some quiet country roads with a number of stops along the route where archaeological monuments in this ancient landscape will be discussed. You will see ancient burial cemeteries, hidden lakes and wetland settlements, ring forts, castle sites and one spectacular monument that matches the best in Ireland, where cyclists will see how the natural landscape was used by people living before Christ. This will be followed by dancing in the festival marquee to popular country singer Mike Denver and his band. Sean Brennan will perform from 9pm as a support act so come early to get a good seat. Tickets can be purchased from the two local pubs or any committee member and doors open at 8.30pm. Tickets are €15 and you are encouraged to purchase now as they are selling quickly. Sunday, July 29, will also play host to an action-packed schedule of events starting with the annual Pattern Mass at 12 noon in the village followed by a cake sale in aid of Brideswell National School, Wheel of Fortune and local business fair. There will also be children's workshops, entertainment and amusements, soccer tournaments, pony rides, traditional stations and the ever popular sheep racing. Festival goers can then wind down on Sunday evening with free music from 'The Underdogs' (an up and coming local rock band) between 6-8pm which will be followed by a Céilí Mór with the Glenside Céilí Band in the festival marquee from 9pm, a €10 entry applies. The festival finishes up on Monday 30 in Hamrock's Pub with a massive BBQ at 9pm followed by music with 'The High Reel' at 10.30pm. The organising committee would once again encourage everyone to get out and support the festival and would like to acknowledge all the sponsors including the platinum sponsors received to date - Hamrock's Pub, Oliver Kelly (ANDRE Shirts) and Ballinasloe Mart - as well as the gold sponsors - O'Connell's Pub, Supermac's, Roscommon Mart, Barna Waste, Tearmain Bhride Nursing Home and O'Sullivan Keegan Accountants. For further information or to book tickets please contact Tomás on 086 0876933 or email: ideswellpatterncommittee@gmail.com or log onto www.brideswellpatternfestival.com or join us on Facebook.