Cash boost for Crawley Irish Festival

The grant was handed to John Nolan, Chairman of CICS, by Councillor Brenda Burgess, shadow Cabinet member for Community Engagement, at a launch event for the festival held at the Town Hall on Tuesday (14 August) and attended by the Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Carlos Castro; councillors; Ruaidhri Dowling, First Secretary (Irish Community and Cultural) at the Irish Embassy in London; cyclist Katie-George Dunlevy, Paralympic gold medallist and double world champion; event sponsors and members of the Irish community.

The 23rd annual Crawley Irish Festival takes place at The Hawth on Sunday August 26 from 12 noon.

The day before, local Irish Folk band Straw Dogs will play on the bandstand in Memorial Gardens from 2pm. Both events are free to attend.

Councillor Castro, said: “We are blessed to live in a multicultural town. By inviting people to events like this helps to bring communities together.

“I wish you all the best for your event.”

Mr Nolan said: “We are absolutely delighted with this funding award from Crawley Borough Council. Alongside the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Programme Grant and the funding from our main sponsors it will go a long way to meeting the running costs of this year’s festival.

“The festival promotes all that’s good about our culture so that Irish and non-Irish can be part of. We strive to be inclusive in bringing cultures and communities together. Crawley is continually being developed and has a vibrant mix of cultures with which events like the Crawley Irish Festival flourish.

“We want to make the whole day a success and give all visitors an enjoyable experience which can only be good for the town and its inhabitants. We are all looking forward to this year’s festival.”

CICS promotes knowledge of Celtic culture, arts, music and sport; holds events throughout the year; supports and enriches cultural activities; and supports and develops community involvement.

For more details on the Crawley Irish Festival visit www.celtic-irish.co.uk