Events

Trees For Harmony 29th February 2020

The Athenry Music School are proud to launch the Trees for Harmony campaign and urge you to pledge your time to help plant trees for the well-being of our children and their planet.

On the morning of 29th February 2020, Athenry Music School, Esker Children's Music Group and Athenry Tidy Towns are joining the Children's Tree Campaign to invite the community to plant thousands of native trees in Athenry.

The project hopes to see the commitment of up to 300 people planting trees together in one day, with the aim of adding 10,000 new trees to the town's landscape. It involves only man/woman/child power, a spade and a few hours.

The Children's Tree Campaign is a new campaign set up by Galway-based children in 2019. It aims to protect Ireland's native trees, and encourage the planting of many more, to help encourage wildlife and biodiversity and help tackle climate change.

In May 2019, the Daíl declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. Scientists have shown that planting trees is one of the most effective ways to tackle climate change. As the saplings grow into full trees, they absorb carbon dioxide - the main climate-changing gas - from the atmosphere. Native trees also support hundreds of species of animals that we need to save. Trees are beautiful, hold and make topsoil, reduce flooding and noise pollution around our homes, slow traffic around schools and help our physical and mental well-being.

All families, children and community groups are invited to pledge their support, bring their spades and their enthusiasm to plant a forest for our future.

The location is just off the Craughwell road (near the motorway bridge). The Gardai will be onsite during the day, with restricted road closures in place for everyone's safety.

Farrells of Athenry has come on board and have pledged the donation of a shuttle bus from the Car Park beside Kenny Park to the planting site. This will avoid congestion around the planting areas and to coordinate with Tidy Towns, who will know which specific area planters are most needed. The bus will leave every 20mins from Kenny Park and shuttle you and your family back again to your car in Kenny Park after planting.

Galway2020 in Athenry

Beginning in the farthest reaches of Galway on St Brigid’s Day, fiery celebrations will erupt in towns and villages across the county in keeping with the ancient traditions of the Irish Celtic calendar of Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lughnasa and Samhain,

Following a ceremonial turf cutting on the 1st February to mark St Brigid’s Day, the ceremony will travel across the county from the 2nd to the 7th February encompassing An Spidéal, Tuam, Ballinasloe, Clifden, Portumna and Athenry, before a final installment at South Park in Galway City on the 8th February 2020.

Fire Tour Dates
Clifden - 2nd February
An Spidéal - 3rd February
Tuam - 4th February
Ballinasloe - 5th February
Portumna - 6th February
Athenry - 7th February

The Athenry Fire Tour event commences in the community park at 6:00pm and everyone is welcome to experience this special celebration to mark Galway as the European Capital of Culture 2020.

Opening Ceremony 8th February 2020

Taking place in the open air and marking the passing of winter darkness, this will be an Opening Ceremony with a difference. Expect a cacophony of sound and vision as all of Galway comes together in this very special moment to celebrate the blossoming of an extraordinary new year. Everyone is invited to take part in making this an Opening Ceremony to remember. Produced by the world-class masters of global ceremonies, Wonder Works, and paying tribute to our stories past and present, Galway’s Opening Ceremony as European Capital of Culture 2020 will be a unique celebration of this place, its traditions and its future, as we become for 12 months Ireland’s centre at the heart of Europe.

The planting begins – good things come to those who prepare, work and wait.

Rooted in the Irish i mbolg (in the belly), the budding season of Imbolc gives a taste of all to come. January concerts will warm up crowds for February’s incredible Opening Ceremony, as Wonder Works prepare to spark a fiery, festive launch.

Imbolc offers fruitful activities and epic sights, as Kari Kola’s Savage Beauty illuminates the Connemara landscape and Druid Theatre’s Galway Tour begins an intimate exploration of great Irish writing and the hidden towns and islands of the county.

Full details of events during the months of February-April can be view at galway2020.ie

World War One Memorial

On Sunday 11th November, Athenry will honour the local men who fought and died in the First World War. The project was curated by local historian Eoin O'Neil, who is also a tour guide of the Athenry Heritage Centre. The project celebrates the centenary of the end of the First World War which ended on the 11th November 1918. A memorial to honour the men will be unvieled in Athenry Park at 12:30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend the event to commemorate all the Irishmen who lost their lives in the war.

Athenry MAD Festival

Athenry goes M.A.D. from Thursday 20th September until Sunday 23rd September 2018 with a programme of events that's suitable for all ages to enjoy. Experience this multidisciplinary event in locations throughout the town and discover the Arts from exhibitions, writing workshops, music and drama. This year's event also incorporates Culture Night 2018 which adds to the MAD weekend festivities. All Culture Night activities are free to attend and inclusive to all.

Christmas Winter Wonderland 2015

Experience the magic of Christmas in the award winning Athenry Heritage Centre and discover a place full of exciting activities that sparkles with the joys of Christmas.

Unwrap a world of treats and delights in a magical place for all the family to enjoy. Enter the woods and get creative with traditional Viking longhouse craft’s, visit the Christmas bakery and plant you colourful spring bulbs. Make your reindeer treats for Rudolph or fill a sweet herb basket for your tree plus there's face painting too. The centre is a place that is nautical and nice, with a Neverland experience which will thrill the young and the young at heart.

So come along and meet Santa, Mrs. Clause and the friendly Elves for a Christmas to remember in a place for the young and young at heart.

This year, the centre provides a unique babies and toddler time of 10:30am-12:00pm. First time parents can enjoy our Wonderland experience and relax in a world of Peter Pan and his friends from the frozen north. The Winter Wonderland commences on Saturday 5^th December and Sunday 6^th December and every weekend until Sunday 20^th December.