Experience Leitrim in the West Of Ireland - New Event for 2009
Building on the previous success of the Leitrim Roots Festival 'Experience Leitrim Week' will take place in April 2009. Returning with all the events and tours that proved so popular at 'Roots' events, the 2009 festival offers an experience with a difference. Scheduled alongside the genealogy activities which proved so popular in previous years you will also have an opportunity to build your own experience where the activities on offer give you a chance to experience Leitrim on a more individual level. So this year, not only will you be able to trace your Leitrim ancestry and enjoy the real Irish culture that county Leitrim has to offer, you can also experience Leitrim in a more personal way.
With registration and the opening ceremony on Wednesday evening the Leitrim experience starts on Thursday. This morning's activities include a visit to Carrick on Shannon and where we will examine various aspects of The Great Famine. Following that we visit St. George's Heritage and Visitor's Centre where the story of Leitrim, its landscape, history and people is brought to life using multi-layered interpretative displays. Following the visit to the centre, the tour visits St George's church - a place of worship in Carrick on Shannon for almost 200 years. Located in its grounds is the Famine Graveyard of Remembrance where you are given the opportunity to reflect all famine, from Ireland's Great Famine to modern day famines around the world. In the afternoon visit the award winning Strokestown Famine Museum which commemorates Ireland's Famine of the 1840s. This evening entertainment is at a traditional Irish music session in Cryan's Bar in Carrick on Shannon. Friday sees the Lakes and Legends tour which explores a county rich in poetry, rural splendour and ancient history. Travel to the beautiful Glencar Waterfall which is immortalised by W.B. Yeats in his poem 'The Stolen Child'. On to Parke's Castle, a 17th century plantation castle at Dromahair once the a stronghold of the O'Rourke's before taking a trip on Lough Gill to view the Lake Isle of Inishfree made famous by Yeats' poem of the same name. This evening the Festival Dinner takes place.
Saturday's tour takes in the highlights of North Leitrim including a visit to the Irish patriot Sean McDiarmada's homestead and a visit to the Organic Centre at Rossinver. On this trip you also have the option to take a walking tour of Historic Manorhamilton, visit the Leitrim Sculpture Centre or visit the Ard Nahoo eco-retreat. Sunday's tour takes you back in time to early Industrial Leitrim with a visit to the award winning Arigna Mining Experience which recreates the past experiences of Leitrim's coal miners and workers. This evening's entertainment is provided by Mr Larry Cunningham who made the ballad 'Lovely Leitrim' famous worldwide. Monday is a free day, take the time to relax or take part in one of the many 'build your own experience' activities available including horseback riding and trekking or learning to fish for salmon or the art of bread making, or learn an Irish musical instrument or Irish language phrases or play a round of golf. There are also a wide variety of walks available and a number of water sport activities, the choice is endless - it is your personal choice how you experience your Leitrim.
Tuesday sees the group travelling to the Leitrim Genealogy Centre at Ballinamore where you can journey back in time to discover your Leitrim roots. A wide variety of genealogical activities including tracing your Leitrim ancestors, visiting your ancestors' final resting place, viewing archival film of Leitrim long ago or a visit to the Glenview Museum where among of the items on display you can see a collection of objects representing the traditional way of life in Leitrim from the turn of the century. The day ends with entertainment at live music venue; The Dock, Carrick on Shannon.
The final day is a Literary Day with a visit to Lough Rynn Castle Hotel and Gardens where talks on John McGahern and Turlough O'Carolan will be available along with some storytelling from local storytellers. Then on to Drumsna where Anthony Trollope wrote his first novel, to follow the Trollope Trail and experience some of the places that may have influenced his writing. View the Strawbridge memorial, see the famous explorer Thomas Heazle Parke's memorial and finish the afternoon with craft making at the local village hall centre where refreshments will also be available. That evening a ceilli with music and dancing in the lovely village of Dromod draws to a close Experience Leitrim Week.
Experience Leitrim Week is organised so that visitors can experience as much or a little of Leitrim as they want to. The week will appeal to a wide variety of audiences. From Leitrim natives, both from Ireland and abroad who want to trace their family origins, visitors who are interested in a real and authentic Irish experience, people living in Leitrim who want to know more about their county and families who may be thinking of moving to Leitrim and want to look at what Leitrim has to offer. The week will have wide appeal and is organised in such a way as to allow the visitor to choose how they experience Leitrim. All details of 'Experience Leitrim' and 'Build your own experience' are available at www.enjoyleitrim.ie/experienceleitrim
While this week gives a flavour of what Leitrim has to offer, we intend for this initiative to encourage people to experience Leitrim all year round. Many of these packages will be available throughout the year. There is also an option for groups to avail of any of the daily coach tours which can be arranged through Leitrim Tourism.
We look forward to seeing you in Leitrim in April 2009.
Leitrim - Explore, Experience & Enjoy.
This event has been funded in partnership with Leitrim County Council and Failte Ireland.