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JANUARY 2009
Carnival Group theme Northern Lights
Inishowen Carnival Group has announced its 11th consecutive successful
submission to the St. Patrick's festival in Dublin with a parade
entitled "Aurora" based on myths and legends of the Aurora
Borealis, the Northern Lights.
This year the overall St. Patrick's Parade theme in Dublin is "The
Sky is the Limit". The group submitted four separate proposals
for the festival organisers to choose from including ones based
on the signs of the zodiac, the four winds and Greek Gods, but the
successful design was the Northern Lights idea.
"Primarily we wanted to create a parade with lots and lots
of painted silk flags in it. We had an open meeting where carnival
group members were invited to share ideas, which would fit in to
the overall theme and at one of these meetings the idea of the Northern
Lights came up. All of the ideas give us a wealth of creative ideas
from which to create a dazzlingly colourful parade," said Kevin
O'Neill, Carnival Group spokesman.
He added that although the group has been bringing a parade to
Dublin for over ten years there is no guarantee from year to year
that the parade organisers will invite them back again the next
year. "We are continually having to be inventive, thinking
up new and interesting ideas and ensuring that each year we maintain
a high quality of costumes, props and performance."
The group's spokesman added that one of their biggest selling points
from year to year is that they bring a large number of brilliant
performers from Inishowen and from other parts of Donegal.
Last year we had a group from Letterkenny and Ballybofey who will
be joining us again in 2009 and in previous years we have had performers
and groups join us from Ballyshannon and Killybegs as well as Derry,
Portrush and one year from Manchester.
He added "Our performers are renowned for giving it their
all. It's not easy dancing, smiling, acting the eejit and entertaining
crowds for two hours solid and it takes great commitment from our
performers. It can be quite a good way to keep fit (especially if
you join one of our dance classes prior to the event) and it's great
fun getting dressed up for the day getting on one of the largest
stages in the world - with half a million people viewing the parade
on the streets of Dublin every year and millions more watching the
live television broadcasts."
The Carnival Group also has a new artistic team this year with
local artist Joanna McGlynn responsible for designing the individual
costumes and props working with a number of local carnival members.
"Joanna and a team of artists and makers have already begun
to put the designs into reality and we are hoping that a number
of local volunteers will help out making things for different parts
of the parade. It's a great opportunity to learn to use some new
materials to create interesting costumes and props."
Meanwhile an open meeting will be held on Tuesday 20th January,
7.30pm at the carnival offices in Carndonagh for anybody interested
in getting involved either as a group, as an individual performer
or as a helper/costume and prop maker. If you can't make the meeting
on the 20th January you can contact the office at 074 9373375 or
email info@inishowencarnival.com.
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