Artwork by John Corrigan, who is doing the cartoon and landscape workshops at the festival in Fore.

Fantastic Fore


Fantastic Fore

Would you pass the trials of the Fianna?

Would you be able to forage to feed your family?

What would you use to cure illness before 7up and Sudocrem were invented?

These questions and more will be answered at this year’s Fore Summer Festival, Fantastic Fore, on Saturday August 20 and Sunday August 21.

“The festival is two days –the Saturday is all workshops and we have amazing people hosting including artist John Corrigan, heritage guide Bartle D’Arcy, Forager Fred, and Una Egan, who specialises in drama therapy and has developed a mindfulness workshop for adults and one for children especially for the festival," explains event manager Úna D’Arcy, ConnectFore.

“We have mindfulness workshops, including an introduction to mindfulness with Brigid Corrigan, cartoon workshops, fairy workshops, and even warrior training for our Fianna Trials.

"Bartle is opening up his box of horrible history, filled with the gore, the gruesome and all the secrets of our local history in Fore.

"We also have a pony workshop, for children who love ponies but have never had the opportunity to get close to one.

"In the workshop they will see all the work involved in owning a pony, get a chance to groom the pony.”

On Sunday, our 3km looped walk, St Feichin’s Way, will once more be bustling with living history.

We will have creative zones all through the valley, there will also be a zone dedicated to all the crazy ways people tried to cure illness through the centuries and what people ate and where they found it before Tesco or even the potato came along.

There will be a cultural zone at Nancy’s cottage, where visitors will meet with artist Teresa Doyle and the man behind the lopped walk and this year’s cathaoirleach for the county, Cllr Frank McDermott.

Further along the trail we step away from history and into the other realm of fairy and magic.

Then the path opens out into the ancient trails of the Fianna. Hosted by Inspiration Tae Kwon Do, the Field of the Fianna will be filled with challenges for everyone to try.

“Fore is a magical place. This festival just adds to the wonder and the interest of the valley by creating a brilliant experience for visitors and bringing history to life.

“The Festival is supported by the Diaspora Fund through Westmeath County Council, which allows us to create a free brilliant day out for all the family on Sunday.”

Úna is a member of the Fore Trail and Tale Community Tourism Committee, who work to deliver events in the area and showcase Fore and the new looped walk St Feichin’s Way.

This is their fourth event designed to bring tourists into Fore and to create spectacle to match the stunning valley