KILDARE, 27 June 2001: by Grace Halford. The attendance of a number of IDA clients from the US for Budweiser Irish Derby would be 'terrific for the country but especially good for Kildare', Tanaiste Mary Harney said when she opened 23rd annual Kildare Derby Festival at the weekend. The festival is taking place despite a 2:1 thumbs-down in a town referendum earlier this year and a reduction in the sponsorship money from Budweiser, sponsors of the Irish Derby itself.
Ms Harney said that it was a great pleasure to visit a town which, she said, 'kept alive the community spirt, which was now ever fast disappearing in urban communities'. Ms Harney also said that since Budweiser had begun sponsoring the Derby 16 years ago that it had achieved particular attention in the United States.
This year saw the kicking-off of the annual parade on a Saturday instead of the traditional Sunday and the theme this year was 'The Circus is Coming to Town'. Included was an extravagant circus style parade involving the Malahide and District Pipe Band, Vintage Cars, Samba Bands, and the Kildare Artsquad, which brought traffic through the town on the N7 to a standstill.
Festival coordinator Ollie Kearns said a decision had been taken to cut the entertainment on the square by three days, as a result of consultations with the local community who felt that the activities should be limited to two or three days so as to avoid the amount of public drinking on the square. He also said that the committee decided to offer better quality bands this year over the three nights, with acts such as the Furey’s and Picture House topping the bill.
Mr Kearns said that this year the festival had put 'a greater emphasis on the arts and culture in the town of Kildare', with events such as an arts and crafts exhibition running daily throughout the week. The Silken Thomas Players will also perform two of their award-winning plays during the festival week, with productions of The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Lonesome West each running for two nights. He also said that Kildare was very privileged this year to have internationally renowned pianists Clavel Cabeza Penalba and Mar G Barrenechea performing a piano duet in aid of the St Brigid's Hospice on Thursday night, which takes place at 8pm in St Brigid's Cathedral.
©2001gracehalford/knn
ED NOTE: With this story we welcome KNN Correspondent Grace Halford, who will cover stories for us in Newbridge, Kildare and Athy.