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Pictured ahead of the launch of Puck Fair 2018 is (l-r) Chairman of Puck Fair, Declan Falvey; President of Puck Fair, Declan Mangan and Queen of Puck Fair, Ella Foley. Photo by Don MacMonagle
THE Puck Fair committee will officially launch the 2018 programme at Sheahan’s Bar, The Square, Killorglin this Saturday at 8pm where those attending will hear details of the festival.
This year’s event which takes place from Friday, August 10 to Sunday, August 12 will be particularly special not only for the Killorglin community, but also for the county as a whole, as a well-known and inspirational young Kerry man will be on hand to officially launch the age-old event.
Fresh from a recent appearance on The Late Late Show, during which he spoke with admirable positivity about his continuing recovery following last year’s cycling tragedy that left him paralysed from the neck down, Ian O’Connell from Killarney, will take time from his schedule to launch Puck Fair 2018 and begin the celebrations with the enthusiasm he is known for.
His inspiring motto, “If you can’t stand up, stand out!”, even attracted the attention of his idol Conor McGregor, who paid tribute to the determined teen on Instagram.
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The launch event on Saturday 7th July will mark the culmination of a busy day for the 16-year-old, who will also attend the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle that morning to support those cycling the arduous 175km trail in order to raise funds for the Ian O’Connell Trust, which was set up to ensure the continuation of his ongoing and lengthy rehabilitation.
Another VIP attending on the night will be none other than King Puck himself, who this year will be making an early appearance in a very unique form.
Looking bigger and brighter than ever (in spite of his 400+ years), King Puck now reigns permanently over the town of Killorglin thanks to the creativity and vision of artist Dan Leo, who painted a mural of the famous folklore figure on the wall of the CYMS Hall in the town centre.
The bright and eye-catching mural – a joint initiative between Puck Fair and K-Fest and one made possible by the generosity of the CYMS team, who provided the ample canvas – pays homage to the town’s ancient tradition in a modern and artistic way and compliments the existing honey bee mural, which was painted by Cork artist Lorraine McDonnell ahead of K-Fest 2016.
While King Puck is currently the focus of attention in the town centre, his spotlight will soon be stolen by another very famous figure, who is gearing up to take to the stage as the eagerly-awaited headline act of Puck Fair 2018.
Singer Jake Carter, the reigning champion of RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars and brother of the equally famous Nathan Carter, will perform on the main festival stage on Sunday 12th August, bringing the festival to a stylish and energetic close.
This year’s festival will also feature live music from The Swing Cats (Friday 10th August) and The Cosmic Funk Band (Saturday 11th August), as well as acrobatics from Wobbly Circus Street Show; puppet shows by Kidspartyclub Kerry; children’s entertainment provided by Kingdom Party Pals; Fancy Dress and Bonny Baby Competitions; performances by Afro Trad Ireland and much more.
The opening day of Puck Fair, Friday 10th August, will be marked with the annual Coronation Parade and Ceremony, while the Dethronement festivities and subsequent fireworks on the final day of the festival (Sunday 12th August) will provide the perfect ending to Ireland’s most famous yearly event.
For pictures and live updates, check out www.facebook.com/puckfair or twitter @puck_fair and visit YouTube to view puckfairofficial videos.
