Dublin City Spectacular Four-Day FreeFestival for The Tall Ships Races 2012
August 23rd -26th -Exciting Line up announced for Ireland’s Biggest Festival this summer –
“First Mate” of The Tall Ships Races 2012 – Dublin, Keith Duffy joined Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar, Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise Ó Muirí and 1940’s style vocal trio The Bugle Babes today, the first day of the International Tall Ships Races as the fleet gather in St.Malo France for Race 1, to announce details of the spectacular line-up for the free four-day festival inDublin this August. Up to 50 magnificent Tall Ships will sail into Dublin, the final host port in the race, for what promises to be Ireland’s biggest festival this summer from August 23rd – 26th
One of the most anticipated events of the year, The Tall Ships Races 2012 – Dublin, presented by Szczecin and organised by Sail Training International arrives in Dublin on Thursday 23rd August and will see the city come alive with a festival atmosphere both on and off the water. Local organisers, Dublin City Council and Dublin Port Company are delighted that Dublin was chosen as thefinal host port for the The Tall Ships Races this year and have programmed an impressive entertainment line-up to cater for all tastes.
Launching the event, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar commented, “It’s great to see the Tall Ships Races back in Ireland again, following a highly successful visit last year. This fantastic event is set to attract thousands of people into the capital. It’s a rare opportunity to see so many of these great ships against Dublin’s striking city skyline. Events like this are very important for tourism companies and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in bringing it to Dublin. It’s fun, it’s free of charge and it’s open to everyone”.
Mary Weir, Project Manager for The Tall Ships Races 2012 – Dublin commented“We are expecting over 1 million visitors to attend the festival and we want to make sure there is entertainment to suit everyone. We have designed a captivating and exciting line-up of entertainment with everything from food theatres and markets, imaginative children’s areas, a Family Zone, an impressive music line-up with Ash and The Undertones already confirmed, parades, street performances, literary trails and an Urban Street Culture and Watersport Zone. We are taking over the quays both North and South and The Docklands for four days, in fact the entertainment offering is so vast we anticipate people visiting the festival over several days to get the most out of all that is on offer and the best part is that it is all free”.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muiríspeaking at today’s launch commented “The Tall Ships Races 2012 arrival in Dublin will bring a wonderful atmosphere to the capital city at the end of August and the organisers have done a terrific job creating a festival worthy of such a high profile International event and of Dublin, our Capital city. We want to make sure that we showcase all that both Dublin and Ireland have to offer as the world watches and I am confident this festivalprogramme will do just that. This will be a terrific event for both Irish visitors and those coming from abroad”.
Your Guide to The Tall Ships Races 2012 – Dublin Festival
Music
Ash and the Undertones will perform on the Bulmers Music Stage along with other high profile music acts (to be announced) as part of the spectacular free four-day line-up. The Bulmer’s Music Stage will host a jam-packed line-up of performances from some of Ireland’s hottest upcoming acts to musical stalwarts.
Family Fun and Entertainment
Family entertainment will take centrestage at the festival. A programme of events entitled ‘Out of the Blue’ at Grand Canal Square will include a range of imaginative family events including an interactive sea orchestra, a pirates and mermaids headphone disco, an open air trapeze and circus sideshow, aquatic themed workshops, a diverse music programme, a wooden family games area, Pirates Cove and kids water activities in Grand Canal Basin. The Waterways Ireland Visitor Centre, (The Box on theDock) will also play host to a cosy library, puppet workshops and storytelling.
Urban Street Culture
Urban Street Culture legends the Kings of Concrete will takeover Hanover Quay with some breathtaking stunts and displays including a Skate Street Course; Parkour; Breakdancing;Crazy Golf on a Pontoon, Live Graffiti from some of the world’s leading graffiti artists; Customising Vespa Scooters and even a kids skate demo area. The Kings of Concrete will also host some hip-hop and beatboxing to create an electric atmosphere all weekend.
Watersports
Grand Canal Dock will be heaving withwatersports presented in partnership with Waterways Ireland including Wakeboarding, Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Gladiator style Water Battles, Crazy Golf with a twist on a pontoon. Five Nations Tour will be there all weekend with professionals from across Europe, including defending Champion, David O’Caoimh engaging in captivating water demos and dishing out tips for all standards of Wakeboarders, kite surfers, surfers and skateboarders from beginners to pros.
Grand Canal Dock will also be home to a Floating Cinema with aquatic themed films every evening from 9.30pm.
Food
Food lovers won’t want to miss Linear Dock, which will become home to an innovative Food Theatre for four days with demonstrations and displays,food courts, farmers markets, snack stations and craft markets as they line both quaysides. Stroll down North Wall Quay and Sir John Rogerson’s Quay where you can sample foods to satisfy every taste or relax in the comfort of the seated picnic areas while enjoying thebest views of the breathtaking Tall Ships.
The vaults in CHQ will host a maritime banquet curated by ‘The Food Thing’. 125 invited guests will be served five courses with food from the era of ‘tall ships’ to celebrate the opening eve of the Festival.
Crew Parade and Final Race Prize Giving
An explosion of colour and celebration is sure to draw huge crowds as up to 1,800 Tall Ship crew members from all over the world will take part in a parade up the quays on Friday 24th August from 3pm-5pm. The crews will move up the quays in song and celebration to the Custom House where an awards ceremony will takeplace, acknowledging the incredible journey they have been on since the 9th July when they departed from St. Malo, France as the race began. The overall winner of The Tall Ships Races2012 will be revealed along with the winner of Sail Training International’s Friendship Trophy . The Friendship Trophy is awarded to a ship following a secret ballot in which captains vote for the ship and crew that they believe has done the most to further international friendship and understanding – the main ethos of the event.
The Parade of Sail
The River Liffey will come alive as the Tall Ships prepare to depart and sail out of the Capital on Sunday (26th August) at 11am in a stunning parade of sail as one of the key highlight of the weekend’s entertainment. Organiser’s are inviting you to join them in a special Bon Voyage to the ships along the quays 11am – 2pm. Northside Music Festival will stage a special musical send off in George’s Dock featuring Dublin Gospel Choir who will be heard all along the river. Grand Canal Square will host an open-air family trad seisun to ‘play the ships out’.
A celebration of Dublin’s Maritime History & Dublin Port
CHQ on the quays will host an exhibition programme featuring a multi media exhibition Stevedore Stories by Moira Sweeny, Pop Up Ships by Maeve Clancy, an installation that will start in the Art in Libraries produced by Dublin City Council Arts Office, The Swimmer, Fergal McCarthy’s re-imagination of the 1968 Burt Lancaster film. The newer film follows the artist’s swim through Dublin’s public and private waterways as he maneuvers through swimming pools and rivers to get from one end of the city to the other. The Dublin Dockers Preservation Society will hold an exhibition with beautiful framed black and white images of the docks through the ages. Fingal Living History will stage Viking demonstrations and educational workshops in the vaults of CHQ.
Talks and Literary Trails
A series of Talks and Literary Trails featuringwill also take place all around the quays in pubs and cafés, on the Samuel Becket bridge and even some of the barges
Volunteers
The Tall Ships Races 2012-Dublin is also seeking volunteers to jump onboard and get involved in the festival. Up to 1,000 volunteers are required for The Tall Ships Races 2012 – Dublin to give visitors the warmest of welcomes, help create a great atmosphere and an experience they will never forget. Log onto www.dublintallships.ie/volunteers and play your part. The volunteer programme is kindly sponsored by Lidl.
For more information please visit us at www.dublintallships.ie or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dublintallships to be in with a chance to win a trip of a lifetime for a loved one abroad to Dublin to celebrate The Tall Ships Races 2012 Dublin.
