Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Making hay in Trim

A massive celebration of Irish culture and traditions will take place in Trim, County Meath, on Sunday 23 June. The centrepiece of the Scurlogs Town Olympiad will be the National Haymaking Festival.

Set on a 40-acre site on the banks of the Boyne and overlooking Trim Castle, the Olympiad will involve a number of events, including cutting and scything, traditional music, dancing. There will be an arts and crafts display, a recreated village scene involving ten thatched cottages, street singers, butter making, costume wearing, picnics, plays and Irish games.

Pat Farrelly, one of the organisers, says it is a celebration of "Irish language, Irish culture, and Irish traditions". Important guests this year include the South African ambassador, who is coming in recognition of Ireland's and South Africa's shared history of oppression.

The event many are looking forward to is the scything competition. The festival organisers are inviting interested participants from around the country to travel to Trim for the competition. This event will choose the team of four that will represent Ireland for the first time in the World Scything festival in Bavaria, Germany, in May 2003.

Around 20,000 people visit the festival each year. The organisers are hoping that the Meath-Dublin Championship football match, taking place that day, won't affect turnout too much.

Pat Farrelly says the theme of the festival is based on a quote from Edmund Burke: "We cannot look forward to posterity without looking backwards to our ancestors". He believes that the message of the festival is that our heritage is our hope.

All visitors are welcome.