FESTIVAL: The Folly – 20th and 21st July, Cullohill Castle: Cullohill Community Council are delighted to announce their forthcoming fundraising the event ‘The Folly Music, Comedy and Culture Festival’ which will take place on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st July. This two day event which is being supported by Festival Republic will be the first ‘Equal Opportunity’ festival in Ireland with equal numbers of male and female performers. On Friday night, the festival will open with a music concert in the grounds of Cullohill Castle. It’s all about the laughs on Saturday night, when Cullahill Castle will once again provide the backdrop.
There will be a jam packed day of entertainment in Cullohill on Saturday 21st. The day will kick off with a guided walk up Cullohill Mountain at 8.30am with breakfast from PaddyO Cereals (€5 pp). The All Ireland Porridge Making Championships will take place in Community Centre throughout the day and among the
judges will be renowned TV Chef Rachel Allen. We are actively seeking a local person to compete! The winners of the competition will represent Ireland in the World Porridge Making Championships in Scotland in October, with flights and accommodation being sponsored by PaddyO Cereals. A children’s ‘Granola Bar Making’ competition will also take place. Full details about the Irish Porridge Championships can be found on www.thefolly.ie online.
With a market on the fairgreen, dog show, pony rides, art exhibition, vintage team room, foraging walks and handball exhibition game, there is plenty to see and do throughout the day. No festival would be complete without some great family fun and again the Castle will provide a unique setting for our afternoon of excitement. With Jeca the Clown, Face Painting, Mad Professor Science Show, Arts and Crafts, Bouncing Castle and outdoor garden games, there is something for all ages. Bring a picnic and relax on the grass while your children have a ball exploring the activities within the castle enclosure. The Castle will open from 12.30pm to 4.30pm and admission is €5 per child. Once entry is paid, all children’s activities within this area are free of charge.
Tickets: Tickets for the weekend’s event are on sale from Ticketmaster. A weekend ticket costs €40 and includes the music and comedy events, the mountain walk and the foraging walk. Day tickets for the music and comedy are €25 each. Children under the age of 12 (ID may be requested) do not require a ticket for the music / comedy however they must be accompanied by an adult with a maximum of two children per ticket holding adult. Cullohill Community Council are advising parents that there will be adult themes throughout the comedy show and therefore parental discretion is advised. To participate in the events throughout Saturday you do not need a ticket, but some activities will incur a charge.
Tickets are on sale on Ticketmaster.com and in all Ticketmaster Agents (Colgan Sports, Portlaoise; Easons Thurles; Rollercoaster Records, Kilkenny). As this event is being supported by Festival Republic and tickets are on sale on Ticketmaster, this event will be advertised nationally on all their platforms and tickets are likely to sell out very quickly. Do not delay in purchasing your tickets! Tickets are only available through Ticketmaster and their agents. The music and comedy events will be fully ticketed and cannot be bought on the gate.
Accommodation: The Community Council are seeking host families who can provide accommodation to festival goers on Friday 20th and / or Saturday 21st July. Rates payable are €30 per person sharing for bed and breakfast. If you can help, please text your name and number to (086) 8390266.
Volunteers: And of course we need an army of volunteers to help us. If you can give even two hours over the course of the weekend or in the week leading up the event, it would be very much appreciated. A special project has been identified which could run by secondary school students so we are also looking for younger volunteers. Please text (086) 8390266 if you want to be part of this very special and exciting event. All proceeds from this event will be used by the Community Council for projects identified in the Community Development Plan. Cullohill Community Council acknowledge the support of The Laois Partnership Co., Festival Republic, and FBD Insurance.
Line Up: Friday from 7pm to 11.30pm: The Lost Brothers, Molly Sterling, Holly Macve and Curtis Walsh. Saturday from 8pm to 11.30pm: Sharon Mannion, Kevin McGahern, Niamh Marron, Ashlee Bentley, Marck McConnell, Grace Mulvey, Ronan Grace and MC Eddie Mullarkey.

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