Ireland gathers Celts in Kilkenny

Festival of Celtic culture and history will be held in the small town of Kilkenny in Ireland from September 28 to October 3. Despite the small size of the town Kilkenny is a very significant cultural and historical center of Ireland and is the second most popular tourist destination after Dublin. The main purpose of Kilkenny Celtic Festival is to draw attention to the ancient Celtic culture.

The festival’s program is very diverse and includes concerts of ethnic music and performances of dance groups, as well as ancient Celtic competitions. In addition, during the festival will be held archaeological exhibitions, seminars and lectures on the history of Celtic culture. Traditionally, all Celts, who lived in Northern Europe, are divided into 6 groups: Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. And each year Kilkenny Celtic Festival is dedicated to one of these groups and the organizers are trying to invite professionals and researchers from these countries to participate in numerous events of the festival.

This year at the festival of Celtic culture will be held the following events: several concerts of the youth music group Irish Youth Harp Orchestra led by Janet Harbison, Boating Extravaganza – water extravaganza on the River Nore, which flows through Kilkenny and performance of the Irish dance group Danswyr Pen-y-Fai Welsh.

Especially for kids will be held several entertaining educational activities dedicated to the ancient Celtic customs. In addition, each evening on the square near the Town Hall will be organized folk festivals, where tourists will be able to taste the real Celtic dishes, to drink famous Kilkenny red Irish ale, which is brewed in the Ireland's oldest brewery in the Abbey of St. Francis, founded by the monks in 1710.