Laois has always been rich in heritage and history, but now local cultural celebrations are set to receive a boost as close to €90,000 in funding has been approved for festivals across the county as part of the LEADER Programme.
At the end of 2024, Laois Partnership Company sought expressions of interest from interested community groups towards festivals and events taking place from May 2025 onwards. This grant assistance is available under the Rural Tourism measure of the Laois LEADER Programme to fund a range of festival costs, with eligible expenditure items including the hire/purchase of equipment and marketing costs.
New festivals and new elements to existing festivals were encouraged, and Laois Partnership Company was inundated with applications from groups keen to bolster their delivery of public events filled with colour and character.
Now, the Laois Partnership Company Local Action Group has approved a total funding of €88,967.65 toward the following ten community-based festivals:
- Timahoe Heritage Festival (Saturday 31st May & Sunday 1st June)
- Buds and Blossoms Laois Garden Festival, Spink (Sunday 8th June)
- The Old Fort Quarter Festival, Portlaoise (Friday 27th June to Sunday 29th June)
- The Folly Festival, Cullohill (Friday 4th & Saturday 5th July)
- Feile na Coille, Ballinakill (TBC)
- Twins Trees Art Heritage and Culture Festival, Heywood, Ballinakill (11th & 12th July)
- Ossory Agricultural Show (Sunday 27th July)
- Abbeyleix Celebrates (Saturday 16th August to Sunday 24th August 24th)
- Laois Pride, Portlaoise (festival runs from Monday 1st to Saturday 6th September, with the parade on Saturday)
- Castletown Community Centre Fun Weekend (Friday 24th October to Monday 27th October)
Brian Kelly, Rural Development Programmes Manager, said: “These community festivals deliver a range of economic, social and cultural benefits. In addition to stimulating economic activity and enhancing tourism, these festivals provide entertainment and celebrate our communities, showcase our villages and towns and are a strong expression of identity and place. Each festival has its own theme and focus, ranging from the arts and live music, to farming, heritage and community recreation.”
Photos courtesy of Laois Chamber Alliance.