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Luton & Dunstable on Sunday announce festival programme 2007

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Luton
St Patrick’s Festival 2007
Luton Irish Forum (LIF) is delighted to announce the programme for Luton’s 8th St Patrick’s Festival (16th-23rd March)
This year’s festival will kick off with a Gaelic football match between St Patrick’s boys band, visiting from Portalington and the local St Dympna’s Junior team. The event is being organised by the GAA, Hearts County Board, and the throw in will take place at 4pm at St Joseph’s field (Gardenia Avenue).
The evening of the launch will begin with the annual Sean O’Riada Mass, featuring LIF’s own choir; performing hymns in Gaelic. The Festival will be formally opened, afterwards by the mayor of Luton, in St Joseph’s Parish Centre. St Patrick’s Day (17th March) will commence with the annual church service at Our Lady help of Christians (Castle Street).
From 10am, Manor Road will become alive whilst the parade participants tune up! This year’s theme is a pageant of ‘The Life of St Patrick’. In preparation for the Eastern Region’s largest Irish community event, LIF has not only been giving storytelling workshops on ‘The Life of St Patrick’ across Primary Schools, but working creatively with Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust, pupils from St Margaret’s  of Scotland and Cardinal Newman schools. The result is a flamboyant display of costumes, choreography and Celtic images, which will be accompanied by a collaboration of traditional Irish musicians and steel pans. It promises to be the most spectacular pageant yet! Adding to the excitement, will be a host of colourful floats, walking troupes and bands, flying their banners. Flags of the 32 counties of Ireland will be flying.
Another highlight of the Parade if LIF Emerald Pipe Band’s debut performance during the presentation of Shamrock to local dignitaries.
Alongside the parade, the Arndale Centre will vibrate to the sound of traditional song and dance. The spirit of Irish culture will flood the halls of the Mall, with melodies from the harp and violin and the tap of feet from local dancing schools. At Market Hill, there will be an outdoor stage offering music and dance, alongside and Irish market offering food and non food goods, plus plenty of free amusement rides for the children.
Alongside other festival events will be three consecutive nights of entertainment at The Library Theatre. The Wind that Shakes the Barley, ‘a terrific piece of cinema’ (The Times), will be shown on Wednesday 21st. Followed on Thursday, by an evening of Irish music from the ‘Fabulous’ Duffy Brothers who will be supported by international harpist and singer Margaret Knight and the Conway Lally School of Dance. The Festival will finish with a classic extravaganza; The London Irish Symphony Orchestra, ‘the only orchestra in the UK promoting classical music of Irish origins’.

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