24th Donegal Bay and Blue Stacks Festival
The 24th, Donegal Bay and Blue Stacks Festival takes place from Thursday, September 26th to Sunday, October 13th. Festival events will take place in a variety of towns and villages in the South and South West of the county, including Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Donegal Town, Leghowney, Glenties and Glencolmcille, as well as in Ballybofey and Stranorlar.
One Night at Glenlough
Among the highlights will be Balor Arts Centre’s production of Shaun Byrne’s new play – ‘One Night at Glenlough’, which tells the story of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’ eventful sojourn in Glencolmcille over the Summer of 1935. The play will be performed in Ballybofey, Glencolmcille and Ballyshannon, from September 26th to 29th. The production is part-funded through the Council’s Creative Ireland allocation.
Myths and legends Carnival Parade in Ballyshannon
The Festival is delighted partner again with Erne Enterprise Development to bring the Carnival Parade back to Ballyshannon, after an absence in the wake the Covid 19 pandemic. This year’s Parade will take place on the evening of Saturday, October 5th. and will be a celebration of Ballyshannon’s connection to the O’Donnell Clan and it’s rich maritime heritage. The Parade will feature Inishowen Carnival, Dark Daughter Productions, Ballyshannon Samba and Michelle Bell’s School of Dance among many others.
A further O’Donnell themed-celebration will take place the following weekend in Donegal Town, in the form of the Donegal Town 550’s much anticipated Soilse Festival of Light which will culminate in an Illuminated Sculpture Trail throughout the town and a Parade of Light, on the evening of Saturday, October 12th.
Other highlights promise to be the Donegal Voices Choir’s performances of works by Handel, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and McGarrigle in Ballyshannon, Donegal Town and Glenties; Donegal Drama Circle’s highly anticipated production of Frank McGuinness’s much loved play ‘The Factory Girls’ at Leghowney Hall and writer Denise Blake’s In Conversation event at the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon with bestselling crime writer Brian McGilloway and poet Una Mannion.
Full Programme Information is available here: Donegal Bay and Bluestacks 2024 Festival Programme and on the Festival website www.donegalbaybluestacks.com
