The festival is open to all anglers and will take place on Lough Ree  at Athlone, located in the very heart of Ireland, with boat angling over  three days. If 200 anglers take part in the festival the prize fund  will total €23,000.

Lough Ree is 16 miles long and the second largest lake on the Shannon  system and it has been chosen based on the quality of its pike angling.

The entry fee has been reduced for 2012 and the cost is €40 per  angler per day or €100 for three days. All monies will be returned in  cash prizes – plus the €3,000 first prize.

All lawful angling methods will be allowed and for conservation  reasons all fish will be measured and released immediately. Anglers  fishing from boats will be required to have their own digital camera so  that any fish caught can be photographed and released immediately.

Book now by email: dave@activeirishangling.com

Telephone from UK: 0151 324 4744 From Ireland: 071 964 2743 Other countries: 00353 71 964 2743

All entries must be made in advance and are subject to availability

Organisers of the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival are preparing to celebrate its diamond jubilee next May when the curtain rises on the 60th festival. Since the first Festival in 1953, Athlone has played host to this prestigious cultural event, which has grown in leaps and bounds over the years.

Overcoming various challenges across six decades, from advances in home entertainment to economic downturns, the festival has remained the flagship event in the amateur drama calendar, as well as being the Midlands' landmark tourist event.

In recent years, the festival's spiritual home, the Dean Crowe Theatre, has seen almost 100% seat occupancy over the nine nights of the festival. At its AGM recently, the festival's organising committee was told that demand for seats last year was unprecedented with 4 nights completely sold out before opening night.  Such is the high esteem with which the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival is held that in 2012, the Board of the Abbey Theatre sought to restore a past tradition (which ran during the 70s and early 80s) by inviting one of the festival finalists to perform on the hallowed boards for a three night run during the summer. Silken Thomas Players were chosen to perform their production of Angels in America by Tony Kushner at the Abbey's Peacock Theatre from 29th to 31st July last.

The significance of this event cannot be underestimated as amateurs seldom get the opportunity to perform on the professional stage and by doing so it raises the standards to which all groups can aspire.

With an eye to the forthcoming diamond jubilee, the committee have discussed plans for the 2012 festival.  It is intended to hold the awards ceremony as a stand alone event on Saturday 12th May at 9.00 pm in the Radisson Hotel.  The nine nights of performances will now commence on Thursday 3rd May running to Friday 11th May inclusive, with the Festival Club running nightly at the Dean Crowe Theatre Bar.  There will be a programme of Fringe and other publicity events organised in the run up to the festival starting with the issue of a 2012 calendar comprising work from a specially commissioned children's art competition.


For More information please contact - deancrowetheatre@eircom.net 

The dawn of May will see Ireland illuminated as Festival of the Fires returns with very special guests drawn from the worlds of art, culture, heritage and music. From its Hill of Uisneach Epicentre, the festival will spread to communities across the country with over 100 hills all across Ireland uniting to welcome in the summer.
The main festival takes place on the Hill of Uisneach, with a unique festival village featuring three musical stages, food & beverage villages, art installations, heritage trails, guest lectures, comedy, spoken word, debate, hundreds of horsemen and women, arts and crafts, and of course a spectacular night-time Fire Parade led by the multi-award-winning Luxe group from Donegal.
Musical guests will include the some of the brightest names, and the diverser musical line-up which will be revealed over the coming weeks.
Arts, Culture and Heritage - Reignite your passion with Festival of the Fires!

Goldsmith International Literary Festival is the third oldest event of its type in Ireland. Happening annually over the June Bank Holiday Weekend it takes place in the South Longford-Westmeath area that is becoming increasingly known as Goldsmith Country
It was re-branded from The Goldsmith Summer School in 2006 and the event has recently undergone a transformation to become more cutting edge and to address some of the most topical and controversial issues facing 21st century Ireland. Building on its previous twenty-plus years, it has established itself as one of the foremost and most highly respected schools of its type in Ireland with all aspects of Goldsmith's life, writings, and society having been explored over the years.

Contact:

Anne Tully (Secretary) Address: Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford Tel:   (043) 71448 Email: Secretary@goldsmithfestival.ie
Seamus McCormack (Chairman) Address: The Three Jolly Pigeons, Athlone, Co. Westmeath Mobile: (087) 6189506 Email: Chairman@goldsmithfestival.ie