All set for Kilcommon Festival this weekend!

The 37th annual Kilcommon Festival takes place in Kilcommon village from this Friday, July 29th, to Bank Holiday Monday August 1st.

This is a red letter event for the life of the local community, attracting large crowds each year. It is a 'homecoming' event, when the people flock from the cities and from abroad for a special time of celebration.

Since the most successful launch of the diaspora programme, the festival has a new focus, creating a large data base for email communications. The response to this year's invitation is most encouraging.

On Saturday night at 9pm there will be a programme of welcome for all the visitors and locals at a barbeque in the village plaza followed by a special concert in the adjacent hub. The entertainment will be provided by the most talented Jim Ryan (The Mill) and family and invited artists augmented by Jerry Doyle, the Nolan family from Rearcross and Aoife Butler. The concert also includes Denis O’Connell, a local man who resides in Thurles and a most talented ballad singer, with many more invited guests. It promises to be a special night of welcome for the homecomers.

The festival opens on Friday at 7pm with a non-competitive 5k run/walk and a 10k run starting at 7.30pm. Registration will take place in Kilcommon Community Centre at 6.30pm. The race starts from there for a circuit of 10k and returns again to the starting point. Manual time keeping will be taken on the night. The course is very level with a couple of gentle hills and dips along the way. Refreshments and prize giving will take place after the race.

The 5k run/walk is very popular for the less ambitious athletes who provide a lovely atmosphere on the night. The night will be rounded off with a race night in Carr’s pub in the village.

Sunday is a full day of entertainment starting at 9.30am in the village. There’s a 80k cycle run. This event is very popular and well organised and monitored with the Red Cross ambulance and outriders on board. The route is well marked and a map will be provided to each athlete.

The route takes you through Newport to Daly’s Cross and Birdhill. There’s a refreshment stop at Applegreen service station and then the cycle continues to the Yellow Bridge through the Silvermines and Dolla. The King and Queen of the mountains competition starts in Dolla to a spot in Bollingbrook. Refreshments in the hall after the race.

Kilcommon FC has joined the festival committee in recent years and has injected a new spirit of enthusiasm to the programme. Sunday promises to be a spectacular day of enjoyment for all. A massive plan has been laid out for the Festival Jamboree, including Water Zorbing, Skill Zone, Obstacle Course, face painting and bouncy castles, etc. There will be a very competitive ‘Sheaf Toss’ competition and a professional senior Tug-o-War and novice Tug-o-War, and also a Tractor Run.

But the highlight of the day will be Jimmy Buckley and his band, who will perform in the festival marquee. The marquee has been sponsored by Eco Power Total Windfarm Solutions. Jimmy, a native from Doon, is one of the most highly rated Country & Western artists in the country and his large popularity will attract a huge crowd on the day.

The times have changed and Kilcommon Festival has changed too, but the spirit of enjoyment in the hills has remained the same. A 'Céad Míle Fáilte' to all our patrons.