FESTIVAL season is in this week with Féile na gCloigíní Gorma (Bluebell Festival) returning to the Upper Springfield.
Glór na Móna, Upper Springfield Development Trust, Newhill Youth Club and the Frank Cahill Resource Centre, have collaborated to produce a packed programme of events for this year’s festival.
The annual outdoor extravaganza was officially launched by Children's Commissioner Koula Yiasouma at Gaelionad Mhic Goill and will run until this Saturday.
Each May, the festival celebrates the blooming of the Black Mountain with our indigenous wild bluebells, which have become a symbol of rebirth and hope for the communities below.
Reflecting the theme of 'Community, Solidarity and Wellbeing', the festival includes children's nature walks, a family cinema event, gardening, sporting competitions and much more.
Speaking at Friday's launch, Sean Conlon, from the festival organising committee, said: "This is the festival's sixth years, so it's a testament to the hard work and planning involved in the programme, but it's also a reflection of the need and the appetite of people in the community to get involved in events and activities that benefit them.
"It's important because it gives the Upper Springfield community the opportunity to participate in programmes and activities that will improve their health and wellbeing. It'll connect them to other people, it'll connect them to their community, and it'll connect them to their surrounding environment.
"The event aims to improve physical health, and we have thing like the Black Mountain run, sunrise swim, sunset yoga, GAA competitions, soccer competitions. We aim to promote emotional and mental health and we have stuff like health days, talks, walks and tours.
"We also aim to promote social awareness. And what we mean by that is connecting people to other people and it's vitally important at this stage, coming out of Covid, that people coming out of isolation can connect with other people as well. We have open mic nights, social nights, and family activity days. Each of our activities aim to improve and inspire and motivate the people that are around us and live with us."
For the full festival programme search Féile na gCloigíní Gorma on social media, or click here.
