Weekly Dance Classes: When winter closes in you can keep busy and get fit while learning new céilí and set dances at Carigaline GAA every Thursday night September though to May, 2009 from 9.0pm until 11.0pm with tutor Fionan Cogan. Phone 087 818 5111.
We hold many events throughout the year where you can learn to dance, or, if you already know how, you can dance to some of the best Céilí bands in the country.
WREN BOYS STREET CARNIVAL
St Stephen's Day Carrigaline Wren Boys Street Festival. A major Street Carnival takes place from 11.00am until 1.00pm on the Main Street when traffic through the town is diverted. Traditional Musicians & Dancers take to the street in disguise in colourful costumes. Thousands come to watch and participate in this annual event. In 2006 over 80 dressed up in massive costumes including Straw Suits. The traditional meet of the South Union Hunt with 15 pairs of hounds and over 100 horses make a wonderful spectacle as they parade through the crowded streets. Carrigaline is the place to be on St. Stephen's Day.
Exhibition Performances: For special events, shows, corporate functions or weddings we can produce and perform a programme to suit any occasion. Next Saturday night we are entertaining in St Mary's School in Waterpark, Carrigaline at 9.00pm. This is a fundraiser for the Church of Ireland. We are entertaining at the Douglas Comhaltas 10 Year Celebration Dinner in Rochestown Park on Friday 16th November.
Last Tuesday night, 30th October, we entertained the Senior Citizens in Turners Cross, Cork. Last week we did Cathy and Cliodna's party in Silver Springs Conference Centre on Saturday night. On Sunday 21st we were the band for the Mid West Cork Pioneer Social in Innishannon House Hotel. We did Rose de Faoites party the night before in Silver Springs and on Friday night 19th we entertained again in Silver Springs Hotel for 400 Occupational Therapists and students from all over the world who were attending a conference in UCC.
International Festivals: Each year we go abroad to perform at International Folk Dance Festivals. This year we were invited to Hungary to the Summerfest International Folklore and Folk Art Fair 12th -22nd August which took place in the towns of Százhalombatta, Tokol, Ráckeve on the bank of the river Danube 20km south of the capital Budapest.
OVTG performing at 'Dance Panorama' a 30 minute performance of our best traditional Irish dances in the Cultural Centre in Százhalombatta
Summerfest is an official CIOFF festival, organised by local folk dance group Forrás from Százhalombatta on the western bank of the river Danube, just south of Budapest. CIOFF (International Council of Organizations for Folklore Festivals and Folk Art) is an international cultural NGO in formal consultative relations with UNESCO tasked with regulating the international relations of domestic ensembles and festivals and the system of improving their activity.
Relaxing on the steps with some of the other groups waiting to go somewhere
There were 22 coutries represented at this festival: - Brazil, Ecuador, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, India,Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Venzuela and Hungary. The OVTG were hosted in Százhalombatta and were part funded by Culture Ireland.
Opening Ceremony in Százhalombatta, Ireland on right hand side
Twenty five members of The Owenabue Valley Traditional Group travelled and took part in events throughout the region over a period of ten days. The group participated in the main Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and on one night of the weeklong “Dance Panorama” in the main auditorium, all of which were televised and broadcast live on local station Halom TV, which has an audience in excess of 60,000. In addition we performed in the towns of Százhalombatta, Diósd, Rákeve, and Tököl.
We had been scheduled to appear in a small town called Tárnok, but had to cancel due to a thunderstorm and subsequent downpour. The evening performances in Rákeve and Tököl were also televised.
Cork International Folk Dance Festival 2007. We organise the CIFDF annually and this year it took place from Wednesday 18th to Sunday22 July in Carrigaline, Cork City and other towns, Blarney, Clonakilty, Cobh, Kinsale, Midleton and Youghal. We had groups from Mexico, Poland, and Greek dancers from Hungary. www.corkfolkdancefest.com
Iliosz The Greek Hungarian group from Budapest performing in City Hall at the Gala Concert on Saturday night 21st August 2007
Yi-Ma the Mexican group from Baja California, performing in City Hall on Saturday 21st August, 2007
The Kasztelanka Artistic Folk Group from Sierpc in poland performing in the Short Quay in Kinsale Friday afternoon July 20th 2007
Irish Nights: On Thursday night 23rd August we held a ceili and set dancing night, in aid of Marymount Hospice & MS Ireland in Carrigaline GAA Pavilion at 9.00pm.
Monthly Céilí Mór: On the second Saturday
of each month we bring one of the best bands in the country
to Carrigaline.
Annual Set Dance Workshop: Every March we
hold a series of workshops and céilís over an action packed
weekend.
