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Celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Skibbereen!

This year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in Skibbereen is themed – “The Wild Atlantic Way” and schools, clubs and businesses throughout the community are encouraged to participate in this ever popular family event.  Businesses can get involved straight away by dressing their windows and turning Skibbereen “green” for the festival of events.

Festivities in Skibbereen get underway with the Comhaltas Féile Cheoil weekend from Friday March 13-15 with a full programme of music and cultural events to suit all – please find full details here

St Patrick’s Day Church services take place in Abbestrewery at 10 am and in St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 9 am and 11:30 am.

singing at paradeThe annual parade then starts at 2:30pm, from the playground in Skibbereen and follows its traditional route before finishing at the Old Mart Car Park on Bridge St.  The Julia Hickey Memorial Shield will once again be presented to the overall winner on the day and there will be runner up prizes too, as well as a special prize for the best little leprechaun!

The fun doesn’t stop there as between 4 and 6pm in Abbeystrewery Hall the Gaelscoil are holding a fundraiser with teas and coffees, face painting and many more fun activities for all.

 

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Santa’s Secret Garden

Santa’s Secret Garden will be running daily at the Eldon Hotel from December 5th to 23rd and aims to be a feature attraction in Skibbereen over the Christmas period, with already over 200 people booked in!

albxmas2On Saturday December 13th and 20th there will be an opportunity to ‘Breakfast with Santa’ from 10am to 11.30am in Albergo Restaurant.  Parents can bring their kids along where breakfast: pancakes, hot porridge, cakes, scones, hot chocolate etc. all freshly home made, will be served.  They will also meet Santa for games, activities and story telling. This is fully supervised by qualified child minders so parents can (if they wish) leave and do some Christmas shopping in Skibbereen.

Bookings now being taking for Christmas parties in ‘Santa’s Kitchen’, part of Santa’s Secret Garden in a specially set up dining area for private parties with a Christmas theme. 2/3 Course meal options available including mulled wine & a tour of Santa’s Secret Garden from €25 per person. Santa’s Kitchen is available from November 21st (Nov 29th & Dec 7th are booked out) so Book Now at 028-51782

So why  not make Skibbereen your West Cork shopping destination this year?

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Mick Flannery and Martin Stephenson among musicians to perform at Skibbereen Arts Festival

Cork singer songwriter Mick Flannery, who has just released his fourth album, will perform his best known songs in the acoustic surrounds of Abbeystrewry Church, Skibbereen, on Saturday August 2nd.

Martin Stephenson will be playing in Baby Hannah’s Beer Garden on Thursday July 31st. The British musician, whose career spans over thirty years, has gained critical acclaim alongside his band ‘The Daintees’, and has a discography amounting to an impressive 40 albums.

Other music events to take place in the festival include ‘The Annual Canon Goodman Concert’, which will be held on Sunday 27th July. The concert which is held every year in recognition of influential Irish piper and music historian Canon James Goodman, will see musicians Liam O’Flynn, Paddy Glackin, and Alexander Suarez Mendez play their mastered instruments.

Uileann Pipe player Liam O’Flynn is seen as one of Ireland’s leading musicians. O’Flynn has played with the likes of Irish folk group, Planxty, whose members consist of Christy Moore and Andy Irvine, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Paddy Glackin is Ireland’s leading fiddle player. The Dubliner was the first fiddle player in the traditional music group, The Bothy Band whose original line-up included Matt Molloy and Tony McMahon.

Cuban Galician Pipe player, Alexander Suarez Mendez will be playing along on The Sunday night. Alexander’s passion for uileann pipes began in 2011, after Gay McKeon from Na Píobairí Uileann held workshops in Havana.  The 23 year old musician now teaches the uileann pipes and tin whistle back in his home town.

A Sean Nós session will bring the craic agus ceol to the festival on Friday August 1st at Abbeystrewry Church with music from Nell Ní  Chróinín, Caoimhín Ó Feargahil and The Sean Gnóstics. The Vespertine Quintet are set to bring a flare of Chamber Music to the Festival on Friday August 1st, at Liss Ard. While four part acapella group, The Cork Sacred Harp singers are back to perform again this year at the Abbeystrewry Hall on Saturday August 2nd.

For more information on the festival, its events and bookings, please check out the Skibbereen Arts Festival website at www.skibbereenartsfestival.com, or for ticket information please call 087 126 0327.

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Lapland comes to Skibbereen!

Santa’s Elves Descend on West Cork Town for Christmas Work!

Lapland has moved to Skibbereen, West Cork this year with an influx of elves applying for work at Winter Wonderland in the town. Over 200 elves applied for seasonal work at what is being pitched as the ultimate Christmas experience for children and adults alike.

Winter Wonderland which has become a popular attraction in the town for the past number of years is under new management and promises to be bigger and better than previous years with new interactive ideas and special effects to make the visit a truly festive experience.

Speaking of recruitment drive and upcoming launch of Winter Wonderland, Owen O’Driscoll said “We have been busy extending and revamping the entire structure of Winter Wonderland to make it a really special experience for families this year.  The venture will also create more than 65 jobs in the run up to Christmas which is a great boost for the area. If the children enjoy the Winter Wonderland experience as much as we have putting it all together then they will leave with fantastic memories of a completely unique    visit to Santa.”

This year’s Winter Wonderland will feature many never before seen elements including – New Interactive Naughty & Nice Machine, Elves Tattoo Parlour, Candy Land and much more.

Winter Wonderland will officially open on December 1st  with many exciting new surprises which will be completely unique to Skibbereen to make this year’s visit to Santa a truly unforgettable occasion for all the family. Tickets are €15 per child and €5 per adult with discounts for families and a 15% price reduction midweek (Mon-Thurs) up to December 15th.

Visit www.winterwonderlandskibb.com for further details.