For those who don't know, it's pronounced 'crack'. And for the others who don't know what that means in Irish parlance, it means... no, not that! It means fun!
No one really needs a reason to visit Ireland - we just need some money - but a great time to travel there is during festival time. It's a good thing they have loads of it!
Ireland is a nation of festivals the year round, but in the summer there are literally hundreds going on, with dozens on an average weekend. Here’s a guide to some of the best summer festivals in 2014.
July
Fantastic urban vibes
Every year, acts from around the globe head to Dublin and Cork to compete for the Street Performance World Championship (Dublin, 11-13 July; Cork, 19-20 July). You will see jaw-dropping jugglers, acrobatics, sword swallowers, balloon artists, food venders and all sorts of quirky art installations.
In Dublin, the action takes place in Merrion Square; in Cork it centres on Fitzgerald Park. The audiences vote for their favourite performers on site and the act with the most public votes is crowned champion. What fun!
Unique Scots-Irish culture
A thunderous roar will resound from glen to glen for the Dalriada Festival in County Antrim (13 – 19 July). This culture fest is dedicated to the shared Irish-Scots heritage that makes Northern Ireland so distinctive. The setting is a joy – the grounds of Glenarm Castle in the rugged Glens of Antrim.
The festival kicks off with the Champion of Champions Highland Games, which sees the thunder of Scotland come to Northern Ireland to pit strongman against strongman. A high quality musical line-up includes chart-topper Nathan Carter who will headline on 13 July with special guests. The Dalriada Sessions will also feature traditional music from Haste to the Wedding, gypsy jazz swing from Manouche Swing and an award winning Jonny Cash and June Carter Show.
The sporting action includes Super Endurocross, a beach mounted rally, Dalriada Wipeout, Kids Duathalon and a fun run. There will also be traditional entertainment, food, games and local culture at the Auld Hirin’ Fair. Across the festival visitors will be treated to celebrity chef demos, the world’s only Chic Sheep Fashion Show, a craft village, fine food and of course dancing.
The festival will give one final roar as its closes on Sunday, 19 July with spectacular fireworks, street entertainment, rowing regatta, fancy dress parade, live music and lots more.
Epic artistry and culture
The Galway Arts Festival (14 – 27 July) is Ireland’s largest annual arts festival, taking place every July in the city of Galway on Ireland’s west coast.
Galway Arts Festival is a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration bringing a palpable vibrancy to the cobble-stoned streets of a city known the world over for its friendly people, shopping and nightlife. Hundreds of writers, artists, performers and musicians will gather in Galway to create theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music.
Theatre highlights this year include the world premiere of a major new play by one of Ireland’s leading playwrights Enda Walsh. Marking the return of Irish star Cillian Murphy to the stage, Ballyturk isgut-wrenchingly funny and achingly sad, and features jaw-dropping moments of physical comedy.
Following its world premiere at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre, the Festival’s co-production of Chapatti, by acclaimed Irish playwright Christian O’Reilly, can also be seen at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre from 15 –27 July.
On the musical front Brooklyn based indie rock band The National will headline the Festival Big Top stage on 16 July, while the reigning queen of rockabilly, Imelda May, will also return (18 July). Irish rock band The Coronas are also are set to play and they will be joined by upcoming Irish band Walking on Cars on 19 July.
August
Celebrating a literary giant
The Happy Days Festival (31 July – 10 August) celebrates the work and influence of Irish Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel Beckett. It takes place annually in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, where Beckett spent his formative years attending Portora Royal School.
Ireland’s only island town, Enniskillen is at the heart of the Fermanagh Lakelands, amidst some of the most beautiful landscape in Europe. There will be 10 full days of Beckett mania in this setting this year, including two different productions of Beckett’s 'Waiting for Godot'.
Classical music, the popular talks series, visual art installations, theatre, readings and the FAB (Fooling around Beckett) comedy and slapstick programme will also form part of this major cultural event.
International street arts
The Spraoi Festival is Ireland’s specialist street theatre and spectacle event, taking place in medieval Waterford (1-3 August).
Spraoi, pronounced ‘spree’, is the Irish word for fun, exuberance and celebration, and this is the inspiration for some 200 street theatre and music performances, mostly free and family-friendly, taking place over the three festival days.
This one is about live music, street theatre and the main event, the Spraoi Parade, one of the most anticipated outdoor arts performances in Ireland. The parade lights up Waterford with a colourful mix of fancy dress costumes, exotic floats and impressive special effects. It regularly attracts 30,000 spectators of all ages as it winds through Waterford’s ancient streets and historic buildings.
Founded by the Vikings in 914, Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and all through 2014 is celebrating its 1100th anniversary. Major attractions such as the Viking Triangle, the House of Waterford Crystal, the award-winning Waterford Museum of Treasures which includes three uniquely historic sites: the Bishop’s Palace, Medieval Museum and Reginald’s Tower, are well worth experiencing after Spraoi time.
A true experience of Ireland
The All-Ireland Fleadh, the world’s greatest traditional Irish music festival returns to Sligo in 2014 (10-17 August).
This one is a stimulating, family-friendly week of Irish cultural entertainment featuring music competitions, hundreds of pub and street sessions, pageants, concerts, singing, dancing, busking, marching and ceili bands, as well as fun-days, plays, street theatre and tours.
Attracting thousands of musicians and hundreds of thousands visitors every year, the annual Fleadh was originally established to set standards in Irish traditional music through musical competition but has developed into a much wider cultural experience.
And for those who just want to know more about craic, read here!
No one really needs a reason to visit Ireland - we just need some money - but a great time to travel there is during festival time. It's a good thing they have loads of it!
Ireland is a nation of festivals the year round, but in the summer there are literally hundreds going on, with dozens on an average weekend. Here’s a guide to some of the best summer festivals in 2014.
July
Fantastic urban vibes
Every year, acts from around the globe head to Dublin and Cork to compete for the Street Performance World Championship (Dublin, 11-13 July; Cork, 19-20 July). You will see jaw-dropping jugglers, acrobatics, sword swallowers, balloon artists, food venders and all sorts of quirky art installations.
In Dublin, the action takes place in Merrion Square; in Cork it centres on Fitzgerald Park. The audiences vote for their favourite performers on site and the act with the most public votes is crowned champion. What fun!
Unique Scots-Irish culture
A thunderous roar will resound from glen to glen for the Dalriada Festival in County Antrim (13 – 19 July). This culture fest is dedicated to the shared Irish-Scots heritage that makes Northern Ireland so distinctive. The setting is a joy – the grounds of Glenarm Castle in the rugged Glens of Antrim.
The festival kicks off with the Champion of Champions Highland Games, which sees the thunder of Scotland come to Northern Ireland to pit strongman against strongman. A high quality musical line-up includes chart-topper Nathan Carter who will headline on 13 July with special guests. The Dalriada Sessions will also feature traditional music from Haste to the Wedding, gypsy jazz swing from Manouche Swing and an award winning Jonny Cash and June Carter Show.
The sporting action includes Super Endurocross, a beach mounted rally, Dalriada Wipeout, Kids Duathalon and a fun run. There will also be traditional entertainment, food, games and local culture at the Auld Hirin’ Fair. Across the festival visitors will be treated to celebrity chef demos, the world’s only Chic Sheep Fashion Show, a craft village, fine food and of course dancing.
The festival will give one final roar as its closes on Sunday, 19 July with spectacular fireworks, street entertainment, rowing regatta, fancy dress parade, live music and lots more.
Epic artistry and culture
The Galway Arts Festival (14 – 27 July) is Ireland’s largest annual arts festival, taking place every July in the city of Galway on Ireland’s west coast.
Galway Arts Festival is a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration bringing a palpable vibrancy to the cobble-stoned streets of a city known the world over for its friendly people, shopping and nightlife. Hundreds of writers, artists, performers and musicians will gather in Galway to create theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music.
Theatre highlights this year include the world premiere of a major new play by one of Ireland’s leading playwrights Enda Walsh. Marking the return of Irish star Cillian Murphy to the stage, Ballyturk isgut-wrenchingly funny and achingly sad, and features jaw-dropping moments of physical comedy.
Following its world premiere at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre, the Festival’s co-production of Chapatti, by acclaimed Irish playwright Christian O’Reilly, can also be seen at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre from 15 –27 July.
On the musical front Brooklyn based indie rock band The National will headline the Festival Big Top stage on 16 July, while the reigning queen of rockabilly, Imelda May, will also return (18 July). Irish rock band The Coronas are also are set to play and they will be joined by upcoming Irish band Walking on Cars on 19 July.
August
Celebrating a literary giant
The Happy Days Festival (31 July – 10 August) celebrates the work and influence of Irish Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel Beckett. It takes place annually in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, where Beckett spent his formative years attending Portora Royal School.
Ireland’s only island town, Enniskillen is at the heart of the Fermanagh Lakelands, amidst some of the most beautiful landscape in Europe. There will be 10 full days of Beckett mania in this setting this year, including two different productions of Beckett’s 'Waiting for Godot'.
Classical music, the popular talks series, visual art installations, theatre, readings and the FAB (Fooling around Beckett) comedy and slapstick programme will also form part of this major cultural event.
International street arts
The Spraoi Festival is Ireland’s specialist street theatre and spectacle event, taking place in medieval Waterford (1-3 August).
Spraoi, pronounced ‘spree’, is the Irish word for fun, exuberance and celebration, and this is the inspiration for some 200 street theatre and music performances, mostly free and family-friendly, taking place over the three festival days.
This one is about live music, street theatre and the main event, the Spraoi Parade, one of the most anticipated outdoor arts performances in Ireland. The parade lights up Waterford with a colourful mix of fancy dress costumes, exotic floats and impressive special effects. It regularly attracts 30,000 spectators of all ages as it winds through Waterford’s ancient streets and historic buildings.
Founded by the Vikings in 914, Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and all through 2014 is celebrating its 1100th anniversary. Major attractions such as the Viking Triangle, the House of Waterford Crystal, the award-winning Waterford Museum of Treasures which includes three uniquely historic sites: the Bishop’s Palace, Medieval Museum and Reginald’s Tower, are well worth experiencing after Spraoi time.
A true experience of Ireland
The All-Ireland Fleadh, the world’s greatest traditional Irish music festival returns to Sligo in 2014 (10-17 August).
This one is a stimulating, family-friendly week of Irish cultural entertainment featuring music competitions, hundreds of pub and street sessions, pageants, concerts, singing, dancing, busking, marching and ceili bands, as well as fun-days, plays, street theatre and tours.
Attracting thousands of musicians and hundreds of thousands visitors every year, the annual Fleadh was originally established to set standards in Irish traditional music through musical competition but has developed into a much wider cultural experience.
And for those who just want to know more about craic, read here!
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