Programme of events supporting local musicians, artists and creatives, with free fun for all the family and friends at home and abroad.
Limerick people at home and abroad are being invited to ‘tune in to take part’ in this year’s jam packed virtual Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival featuring some world class musicians and a host of online events to celebrate our national day!
Limerick City and County Council, with the support of Fáilte Ireland, has created a festival programme of online events and fun family content that will be broadcast on Limerick.ie/StPatricksFestival and on Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter)
The headline event is Wild Atlantic Edge – Music, Conversations and Songs from Limerick City.
Working in partnership with Dolans, we invite you to experience a virtual musical celebration from Limerick, Ireland's gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way and enjoy, among others, some of Ireland’s most celebrated musicians, Sharon Shannon, Hermitage Green, MuRli, Emma Langford and a host of surprise special guests.
Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens will be the star attraction in the Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Fling in collaboration with the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University Concert Hall (UCH) and UL Global. Limerick’s young musicians will also be showcasing their talents from the Irish Chamber Orchestra’s Sláinte Sing Along and the Irish Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and Music Generation Limerick City.
It will certainly be a festival unlike previous ones but that doesn’t mean it won’t be as special. The public are being asked to embrace this new-style festival and tune in to take part!
This year’s Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival will also host family workshops from Limerick’s Lumen Street Theatre and the Hunt Museum and retrospectives on Limerick St. Patrick’s Day Parades and International Band Championships gone by.
There will be an aerial performance from locally based Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatre from the stunning backdrop of King John’s Castle.
In addition, we will be celebrating our Limerick Diaspora, linking up with our sister and twinned city around the world, knowing that many of them would love to return to Limerick but cannot at present.
Fáilte Ireland is supporting Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival in order to keep Ireland at the forefront and help position Limerick as ‘the’ place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day when it is safe to travel again. They have provided funding to support the greening of locations across Limerick this March, marketing content creation, web development and the festival’s long term development plans.
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Michael Collins said: “Limerick’s St. Patrick’s Festival is always a special occasion and this year is no different, even though the way we are celebrating in a different way. It’s now more important than ever that we work to keep Limerick in the forefront of people’s minds.
“By using technology and creating online content, it is the best way of celebrating our national holiday this year – at home with family.
“We are placing our creatives and musicians at the heart of the programming, providing them with much needed support so they can do what they do best – create and inspire us while spreading happiness and joy.”
Dr. Pippa Little, Culture and Arts Officer with Limerick City and County Council said: “The online programme celebrates Limerick, our artists, buildings and history. Much of it is brought to us by Limerick’s creatives; cultural organisations, artists and young people. They continue to perform and create new work, and for the Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival this year we can all enjoy concerts for young and old and aerial performances, from home.
“Families can tune in and take part at the kitchen table in making St. Patrick’s themed costumes, including a magnificent snake headdress, with Lumen Street Theatre and applique badges with the Hunt Museum. Limerick’s participation in Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Greening initiative lights up more than twenty buildings across the city and county in green.”
Cathaoirleach of the Metropolitan District of Limerick, Cllr Sarah Kiely added: “This year we have an amazing line up for Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival with big names for online concerts here in Limerick.
"This keeps Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival in the limelight too especially for our International Band Championship which draws people from all over the world but mostly from the USA, where the majority of our tourists for St. Patrick’s Day comes from.
“It has to be a priority to keep the connection alive and maintain relationships with our diaspora and ensure next year we get them back here in Limerick. It is worth so much in terms of the economy and employment in the region.”
Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival is programmed by Limerick City and County Council and is supported by Fáilte Ireland.
Media Sponsors are Limerick Leader, Limerick Post, Live 95 and Spin South West.
Keep up to date with the full festival line-up on Limerick.ie/StPatricksFestival
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Twitter @LimerickStPats
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