Thank you!
A big thank you to everyone who came, everyone who helped out on and everyone who played a part in the 'Gathering at Uisneach'. The support of Irish Public Bodies and Westmeath County Council was crucial in making the event happen, and we were delighted it passed off safely. The attendance of so many from abroad was testament to the draw of this magical →
Stage times
The first ever Gathering at Uisneach takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Uisneach Inn venue, set into the foothill of the Hill of Uisneach. With Festival of the Fires taking a well-deserved year off, we could not let the Bealtaine weekend pass without staging something, so this year we bring you a boutique music festival featuring some great →
Tourists go free to ‘Gathering at Uisneach’!
The people behind the multi-award winning Festival of the Fires are keeping its flame burning this May Bank Holiday weekend when they host a spectacular two-day ‘Gathering at Uisneach’ at the Uisneach Inn in Mullingar, and as a special incentive for visitors to Ireland for ‘The Gathering’, anyone with a recent flight ticket or proof of entry will gain free →
Gathering at Uisneach – next week at The Uisneach Inn!
There are only days left to the very first 'Gathering at Uisneach' at the Uisneach Inn Bar and Restaurant, Ireland's most central venue at the foot of the Hill of Uisneach. The two day boutique music festival will feature music from some of the biggest names in Irish music, all gathered together in the centre of the country. Our headline acts are →
Festival of Fires not happening in 2013
**FESTIVAL OF THE FIRES IS NOT TAKING PLACE IN 2013** Due to agricultural and archaeological reasons, the organizers of Festival of the Fires have decided to take a year off this year to allow the venue of the iconic festival, the historic Hill of Uisneach, time to recover. The Hill of Uisneach is a sacred site of supreme national importance, and she needs a →
Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Shanahan
It was with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of our friend Ronnie Shanahan. The Athlone artist was a great lover and friend of the Hill of Uisneach, and when we rekindled the Bealtaine festival we were delighted that Ronnie came with us, creating some amazing outdoor art and infusing and inspiring everyone with her great, warm personality and →
Now THIS captures the festival
Amazing video courtesy of Mark Bennett
THANK YOU!
A huge thank you to every single one of you who made Festival of the Fires a massive success. It was a magical time on the Hill of Uisneach and we are eternally grateful for all the goodwill we received on the day and afterwards.. All we can say at this stage is thank you! We'll see you again next →
Festival of the Fires to ignite summer festival season on Saturday
Ireland’s oldest festival will kick off the festival season on Saturday in spectacular fashion. Festival of the Fires, a rekindling of the ancient Celtic Bealtaine festival at the Hill of Uisneachin Mullingar, County Westmeath, is set to attract 5,000 revellers to the very centre of Ireland for a mix of music, fire performance, art, culture, heritage and pageantry. The festival culminates →
Ireland’s most spectacular festival is back!
Ireland's oldest, most spectacular and hottest festival will once again ignite the summer festival season when it is rekindled on the historic Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath on Bealtaine, Saturday May 5th. Festival of Fires will set the ancient seat of the High Kings alight with the very best in arts, culture, ceremony, history and heritage, crafts, debate, artisan →
New additions to the bill
We are proud to announce some brilliant musical additions to the festival bill. Ireland's oldest band - in fact the oldest band in the world - will be coming to Ireland's oldest festival. The award-winning KILFENORA CÉILÍ BAND will change the way you think about traditional music. As will the legendary DÓNAL LUNNY who will be bringing some very special →
The stage is set… almost
We are delighted to announce that we will have six main music stages at this year's festival. Here's a taste of what's to come on May 5th, and we'll be releasing details of some top new acts on each of these over the weekend! UISNEACH MAIN STAGE: Chart toppers, show stoppers, award-winners & living legends - an eclectic mix of old →
Night time is the right time…
Festival of the Fires acts RYAN SHERIDAN and BRESSIE stole the show at the RTE2FM 'One Night Only' gig in front of a packed Olympia Theatre in Dublin over the weekend. The ONLY other time these guys will share a stage this summer will be on the Hill of Uisneach on Saturday May 5th, bring it on! And be sure →
Festival tickets moving fast!
General admission tickets to Festival of the Fires are on sale now from all Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and from their website here, priced €39.50 (not including booking fees). Tickets with camping will be on sale later this week, no later than Thursday March 8th for €5 extra. If you have already bought a festival ticket and want to camp, then you'll →
Festival of the Fires returns to ignite the summer
Ireland's oldest festival will once again ignite the summer festival season when it returns to the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath on Bealtaine, Saturday May 5th. Festival of Fires will bring Uisneach (the ancient seat of the High Kings and once Ireland's capital) to life with the very best in arts, culture, ceremony, heritage, crafts, debate and, of course, music. Following →
Stay tuned…
Please check back here this Friday, February 24th, when we'll have a little something to tell you about a certain Bealtaine gathering...
Irish Festival Awards
Greetings from the Hill of Uisneach! Sadly, we did not win anything at the Irish Festival Awards despite being nominated SEVEN times in an assortment of different categories. It seems there is no stopping the brilliant Electric Picnic, so congratulations to John Reynolds and all his crew on their record haul of awards. When it comes to a big event, →
Irish Festival Awards
We are extremely proud to announce that FESTIVAL OF THE FIRES has received an unprecedented SEVEN nominations at the Irish Festival Awards 2011! We are nominated as Best Small Festival, Best Festival Line-Up, Best Family Festival, Best Service, Best Social Responsibility, Best Irish Act Performance (our pals The Saw Doctors) and Best Toliets. Yes, best toilets. Voting takes place at www.irishfestivalawards.ie in December & →
The late Eileen Mooney
Everyone associated with Festival of the Fires wishes to extend our deepest sympathies to Hill of Uisneach owners and keepers Angela and David Clarke on the recent bereavement of Angela's mother Eileen Mooney (nee Raleigh) at Lunestown House, Loughnavalley. Ar Dheis De go raibh a h-anam dilis and may she rest in peace.
THANK YOU!
Festival of the Fires 2011 was a tremendous success and that is down to you. With an attendance of over 4000 at the main Uisneach event, we were delighted to ignite the summer festival season in spectacular fashion. We'd like to thank everybody who helped make the festival what is was! Keep your eye on this site and on our Facebook page for →
March on the Dail!
Festival of the Fires will be officially launched on Thursday April 14th! You are all invited to attend the launch, which takes place at the National Wax Museum in Dublin's Foster Place at 10.30am. After the launch, in the company of our fabled Uisneach Warriors we are marching to Dail Éireann to invite An Taoiseach and all the political 'chieftains' →
Camping and Accommodation
Camping is available at Festival of the Fires, and a special campsite will be located on the Hill of Uisneach, accessible via its own pedestrian walkway. Your entry to the festival will be beside the main stage and not the ancient palace as it was last year. Camping tickets are on sale from all Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and from www.ticketmaster.ie and →
Major Arts Awards for Festival of the Fires outdoor artists
Huge awards await artists who wish to display their work on the historic Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath as part of ‘Festival of the Fires’, the major Bealtaine arts, culture and heritage event which takes place annually on the Hill and at locations nationwide. A prize fund of exhibition and workshops space, an artists retreat at a luxurious country mansion →