Tralee Garden Festival Bigger and Better

This weekend’s Féile na mBláth / Tralee Garden Festival jointly sponsored by Tralee Town Council and Kerry Group plc will be bigger and better than ever according to Cllr. Johnnie Wall who chairs the 20 strong working group organising the 3 day event.  The free to access festival is now in its 5th year and this year there be over 50 separate events over the 3 days which will be officially opened by Mayor Terry O’Brien at noon on Friday.

In addition to the popular annuals like the Flower Arranging Competition, Teddy Bear Picnic on Friday, Jazz in the Park with the Billy Curtin Band,  Gardening Workshops on Saturday, and Munster Pipe Band Competition on Sunday, there will be lunchtime recitals in The Square by the Army Band (Friday) and Gleneagle Brass and Reed Band (Saturday) ,  a senior citizens party on Friday afternoon hosted by Sean Murphy Electrical, fancy dress competition and dog show on Saturday afternoon and an organic cook up in the Community Garden at lunchtime on Saturday.  There will be a display of vintage Ford Cortinas and tractors around the Ashe Hall and an Arts & Crafts exhibition, organised by Georgina Maher, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Dog Show, organised by Ciss Moriarty,  which proved a big hit last year will return again in 2010.  Her grand-daughter Kelly Ann will lead the Revolution Dance Group nearby.  Don Nolan will lead his ever popular tours of the park and the Kerry Group Marquee will host a number of ‘indoor’ events. Frank O’Connor and the Kerry Poetry Circle will read from their selected works in the Garden of the Senses on Sunday morning (10 am) and the 12 noon Mass on Sunday will be moved from St. John’s into The Green.

Mayor Terry O’Brien hosts the Mayor’s Variety Concert in the Kerry Group Marquee on Saturday evening featuring local artists like Spalpin, Bella Anam, Fanzini Brothers Frankie Hennessy, ‘Shamrock’  Blue Grass Band, Fame Star  Caoimhe Garvey, compéred by Mike O’Donnell, “We want to lift people’s spirits and will have something for every age group” says Johnnie Wall.

Tralee Flower Club is organising a Flower Arranging Demonstration with Swiss flower arranger  Megan Minteh, courtesy of Ann & Pat McAuliffe of ‘Flowers by Ann ‘ on Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm.  Also on Saturday afternoon Town Gardener Brendan Enright will demonstrate how roses ought to be cared for. There will be demonstrations on flower basket arrangements by Lynda Curley and growing your own vegetables by Peter Keane of Oaklands Nursery.  Among the novelties for children are puppet shows, regular performances by the Fanzini Brothers, and face painting in aid of Cystic Fibrosis Research. The Kerry Fire Service, Tralee Gardaí and Kerry Civil Defence are among those exhibiting on Saturday.  The Civil Defence will be demonstrating abseiling down the front the Ashe Hall on Saturday.

The grand finale will be the Munster Pipe Band Competition on Sunday with ten pipe bands assembling in the Town Centre at 1.30pm. This event is organised by the IPBA and hosted by Tralee Pipe Band.  Tralee will be alive to the sound of music over the entire weekend - jazz, concert, popular, traditional, modern and, of course, the pipers. The massed Pipe Bands will parade from The Square to the Park on Sunday at 5pm bringing to an end what should be a spectacular free show. 

Féile na mBláth is jointly sponsored by Tralee Town Council and Kerry Group plc and friends of the festival.
 

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Féile na mBláth / Tralee Garden Festival 2011 Programme
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