The Kingdom of Kerry became the Kingdom of Creativity on Saturday 23rd last for Cruinniú na nÓg. There was great excitement at events across Kerry and the weather was favourable for families to get out and about. Good crowds attended events in Listowel, Cahirciveen, Killarney and Tralee and the choice of events and mixture of arts activities ensured a good attendance all round.
“Feedback tells us that there was something for everyone and parents were very pleased to be able to access high quality free events for their young people”, Kate Kennelly, Creative Ireland Kerry Co-ordinator and Arts Officer at Kerry County Council, stated. The event was organised by the Arts Office at Kerry County Council and brought about as a result of Creative Ireland funding through the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The Mayor of Kerry Councillor Norma Foley acknowledged the significance of the day and the fact that in its first year there was in excess of 1,700 young people involved in events right across Kerry. “We are grateful to all our venues and artists who organised events countywide”, Councillor Norma Foley went on to say. At Listowel Visual Arts Week young people took up a brush and joined artists in the Square to reveal a new community artwork for the people of Listowel. Youth choral struck the right note in Listowel, Killarney, Killorglin, Tralee and Dingle with more than four hundred participants and attendees singing together at events in each town.
Places in theatre and performance were taken up early both in the Carnegie Arts Centre in Kenmare and at St. John’s in Listowel. “It was so informative and great fun”, stated Janet McDonnell from Tralee about her daughter’s participation in Fighting Words, a creative writing workshop at the Seanchaí-Kerry Writers Museum, “She wrote her first book, a fabulous story”.
It is pride in our collective creativity and imagination that will make Cruinniú na nÓg a cultural force to be reckoned with in the years ahead and a welcome addition to the cultural landscape in Kerry.
Photo by John Kelliher
