Boating on the Grand Canal, hot-air ballooning and singing and dancing in O'Connor Square are the hallmarks of the Tullamore Phoenix Festival which starts on Friday week. The festival will also have its own radio station broadcasting from today until September 2nd. It will carry an upbeat mix of recorded and live music - some of it from the Guinness "gig-rig" which will be parked in the square.
Bands playing at the festival include The Four of Us, Screaming Orphans, Abaesque, Skunk, Zoo 2 and Glamtastic.
The festival gets its name from the Great Fire of 1785 which destroyed much of the town but from which Tullamore rose again, "phoenix-like from the ashes", according to the organisers.
The hot-air balloons from Ireland and the UK will form a dramatic backdrop to the activities over the weekend and traditional jazz will ring out from many of the town's pubs. Traditional music and literature sessions, heritage walks and canal centred activities will also be held. A fireworks display and a march through the town will complete the festivities on Sunday evening.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, will launch a week of celebrations to mark the International Year of Volunteers, in Tullamore, Co Offaly, at the start of the festival. The week will feature events designed to mark the contribution of the voluntary sector to community development.
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