Skibbereen: Rowing Town Celebrates Olympics with Festival Festivities

As the world turns its attention to Paris for the opening of the Summer Olympics, Skibbereen, the rowing capital of Ireland, is also getting into the Olympic spirit. This West Cork town, home to four of Ireland's 16-strong rowing team, is hosting its annual summer arts festival with an Olympics-themed twist.

The festivities will kick off with an opening ceremony inspired by the Games. A screening of the acclaimed sports documentary "Pull Like A Dog," which followed the O'Donovan brothers after their silver medal win in the 2016 Rio Olympics, will be held on Friday afternoon. That evening, Bridge Street will be transformed into a vibrant "Going for Gold" street party, complete with interactive Olympic challenges, live music, and delicious food.

The town will also feature its very own parade of nations and Olympic torch run. The flame, transported from the Fastnet Rock, will travel up the River Ilen, passing Skibbereen rowing club, before arriving in the town center to light the festival's "mini Olympic flame."

Saturday evening will see a special outdoor screening of the multi-Oscar winning film "Chariots of Fire" in the walled garden at Liss Ard Estate. The screening will be introduced by the film's legendary producer and local resident, David Puttnam.

Big screens will be installed in the town hall to broadcast the rowing events over the next two-and-a-half weeks, allowing locals to cheer on Skibbereen Rowing Club members Aoife Casey, Fintan McCarthy, Paul O’Donovan, and Emily Hegarty as they compete on the world stage.

Arts festival manager, Declan McCarthy, explained the decision to embrace the Olympic theme: “The popular annual event always features a themed opening street party. But when we were planning this earlier this year, we saw that it coincided with the Olympics and so it was a no-brainer for us to get into the spirit of the Olympics, given the success of the rowers in this town.”

The festival promises a diverse lineup of performances, including a rare live performance by John Metcalfe, who has worked with iconic artists like Coldplay, U2, Blur, and Peter Gabriel. Metcalfe will showcase his stunning new album "Tree," which captures the life cycle of a tree.

Skibbereen will also welcome Dobro (resonator guitar) master and 16-time Grammy winner, Jerry Douglas, for a sold-out show. The festival will culminate with the spectacular "Garden of Shadows" light and sound installation in the grounds of Liss Ard, running for four nights over the bank holiday weekend.

This year's Olympic Games mark a historic first for the opening ceremony. For the first time ever, it will be held not in a stadium, but along the Seine River. 10,500 athletes will be paraded on boats, creating a truly unique spectacle.

As Skibbereen joins the global celebration of the Olympic spirit, the town's vibrant arts festival offers a unique blend of entertainment, community, and a deep-rooted passion for rowing. With its Olympic-themed festivities, Skibbereen is not only celebrating the athletes on the world stage, but also showcasing the town's own incredible talent and spirit.