San Patricio Mexican-Irish Festival

Friday 7th Sept

5.00pm: Wreath laying ceremony at the San Patricio Memorial – Clifden Town Square

6.00pm: Official Opening of San Patricio Festival – Station House Theatre

7.00pm: Official twinning of Clifden & Coyocan – Station House Theatre

9.30pm:

Tacumba Son Jarocho Mexican Band – Mannions Bar

Sat. 8th Sept.

10am – 4pm: Traditional Craft and Food Market – Town Square

11.00am: Photographic Exhibition – Clifden Town Hall

A display of photographs from Mexican photographer Manuel Ramos, showing Mexico after the Mexican Revolution.

12.00pm: Display: The Day of the Dead – Clifden Town Hall.

The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos) is a yearly Mexican and Mexican-American celebration of dead ancestors . This year the Mexican Community in Galway will have the altar in Clifden. Fernando Rocha, a Mexican Historian, will talk about the meaning and the history of the altar.

2.00pm-4.00pm: Performances and talks from the Spanish Department, NUI Galway- Clifden Town Hall

• An Introduction to the Mexican Revolution. (Lorraine Kelly)

• The novelist Juan Rulfo and the Mexican Revolution. (Bill Richardson)

• Art and the Revolution. (Lorraine Kelly)

• The corrido. Mexican popular song and the revolution. (Jennie Galvin)

• A performance of some corridos, songs from the revolution. (Yolanda Reyes and Ivan Kenny)

NUIG Mexican Poster Competition. A few words from finalists and winner to be announced.

5.00pm: Film: El Violin -Directed by Francisco Vargas– Station House Theatre

Don Plutarco, his son Genaro and his grandson Lucio live a double life: on one hand they are musicians and humble farmers, on the other they also support the campesino guerilla movement's armed efforts against the oppressive government. When the military seizes the village, the rebels flee to the sierra hills, forced to leave behind their stock of ammunition.

While the guerillas organize a counter-attack, old Plutarco executes his own plan. He plays up his appearance as a harmless violin player, and makes it back into the military-occupied village to try to recuperate the ammunition hidden in his corn field. His violin playing charms the army captain, who orders Plutarco to come back daily, consequently developing a relationship in which arms and

music play a tenuous game of cat-and-mouse, which ultimately results in painfulbetrayal.

7.00pm:

An evening of Traditional Mexican and Irish Music and Dance – Clifden Town Square.

Marie Walsh presents Trad in the West, A pulsating and lively arranged show of Trad Irish Music, Song and Dance, Tacumba Son Jarocho and a Mexican Dance group will provide on street entertainment in a celebration of Mexican and Irish culture.

Sunday 9th Sept.

2.00pm:

Talk by Michael Hogan on the Irish Soldiers of Mexico, including the launch of his book 'The Irish Soldiers of Mexico' - Clifden Town Hall

10.00pm: Tacumba Son Jarocho Mexican Band – Mullarkeys Bar

Monday 10th Sept.

7pm: "Saol John Reilly" - Clifden Town Hall.

Saol John Riley, directed by Galway man Kieran Concannon, follows Kerry singer songwriter Charlie O'Brien as he revisits the sites associated with Riley and tries to discover more about the revolutionary hero's fate.

Tuesday 11th Sept.

7.pm: "Batallón de San Patricio". – Clifden Town Hall

Fernando Rocha will talk about the history of the San Patricios and discuss the book "Batallón de San Patricio" by author Roberto Brown.

10pm: Traditional Irish Music Session – Lowrys Bar

Wednesday 12th September

11.00am: Display on the San Patricios - Clifden Library

• Display of memorabilia

• This display will feature books, articles and objects connected to the San Patricios, which have been collected by the Clifden and Connemara Heritage Society, over the years.

• Books on the Battalion. Shamrock and Sword, by Robert Ryal Miller, The Irish Soldiers of Mexico, by Michael Hogan, and Na/Los Patricios, by Tomas Mac Siomoin.

• Documentaries. The San Patricios, by Mark Day and Saol John Riley, by Kieran Concannon.

• Songs and albums by The Chieftains and the Fenians

• Photographs and first day issue stamps, medals and wall hangings.

8.00pm: " A Portrait of Clifden- The town in its bicentenary" - Clifden Town Hall

The Connemara Photographic Society, a Clifden based photography club are to launch a full colour photo book with 100 images titled 'A Portrait of Clifden – The Town in its Bicentenary' this September. The photographic publication showcases Clifden, Connemara, Co. Galway and the surrounding Connemara region during the town's yearlong celebrations of its bicentennial. Familiar faces, scenes and annual events are represented in this new and exciting publication. Club members, who are both amateur and professional photographers who live in the Connemara region, have collaborated to put this yearlong body of work together and the book contains previously unseen images of the town and surrounding area. An exhibition of photographs will also accompany the book launch .