Fleadh na gCuach or the Cuckoo Fleadh will transform the south Galway Harbour of Kinvara over this coming May bank holiday weekend.

The traditional music and community-based art festival is known for its vibrant ambiance and exceptional talent, attracting musicians from across Ireland and beyond for the past 30 years.

Always a taster for the Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara in late summer, the fleadh owes its origins to the same founder,the late Tony Moylan.

As Afloat reported in 2019, a plaque by sculptor John Coll unveiled by Dr Michael Brogan at the head of Kinvara pier drew on cuckoo imagery in remembering Moylan’s seminal role.

A highlight of the Fleadh na gCuachis its poster, always a testament to local artistry

The festival will be launched by renowned singer/songwriter John Faulkner at 6.30pm on Friday May 3rd in the Pier Head, Kinvara. Over the weekend, the harbour’s pubs, restaurants and cafés will host over 50 lively sessions, creating an immersive musical experience.

Other events will include a cuckoo fun run, puppetry by Yourmans Puppets and an art play.

A highlight of the event is its poster, always a testament to local artistry and available for purchase in local shops.

This year’s poster, crafted by Ryan Lavin, pays homage to the esteemed artist Joe Boske, known for his past iconic Fleadh na gCuach designs.

In a change from previous years, the festival organisers are hoping to organise return buses, subject to demand, from Galway City and Gort to Kinvara for the evening sessions. Updates will be posted on social media.

More information from Fleadh na gCuach from May 3rd to 6th can be found here

Kinvara harbour in south Galway has had its temporary “boil water” notice lifted by Uisce Éireann,

As Afloat reported last week, the notice was relayed to over 2,000 people living in the inner Galway Bay area as essential works had to be carried out at the water treatment plant.

Uisce Éireann says that “following consultation with the Health Service Executive, customers can now resume normal use of the public water supply”.

It said it acknowledged the impact of the notice on customers and thanked the community for its support while the notice was in place.

“Uisce Éireann's primary focus remains the protection of public health and we worked with our stakeholders to lift the notice as quickly as possible,” it said.

It said that Uisce Éireann’s customer contact centre, open 24/7 on freephone 1800 278 278, is available to answer queries in relation to the lifting of the notice.

Further information is also available on www.water.ie

The south Galway harbour of Kinvara has been issued with a temporary boil water notice by Uisce Éireann.

Over 2,000 people in the harbour in inner Galway Bay will be affected by the temporary measure from Tuesday, January 20th at 9 am “until further notice”.

The agency says this is to “facilitate essential works at the water treatment plant”, including replacement of a “filter media” and follow-up water quality testing.

“The areas affected include customers in Kinvara and surrounding areas”, it says, and Corranroo group water scheme is also impacted.

Uisce Éireann’s Justin Doran said the agency regretted the inconvenience, and said that “public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority”.

“We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses in Kinvara and we would like to assure customers that we are working to complete these works and then lift this notice as quickly and as safely as possible,”Doran said.

Uisce Éireann said that customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled, and should be boiled for:

• Drinking;
• Drinks made with water;
• Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating;
• Brushing of teeth;
• Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

It said that residents can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

A map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie.

It said that vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on boil water notices.

The south Galway harbour of Kinvara is marking United Nations (UN) international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people with a candlelit vigil on Wednesday evening (Nov 29).

The UN day, which has been observed annually on November 29th since the late 1970s, will also involve a procession to the pier and waterfront.

Spokesperson Vicky Donnelly said that “we are a small community making a peaceful show of friendship and solidarity with people who are struggling”.

During the Israeli war on Gaza in the summer of 2014, the people of Kinvara and local businesses, numbering about 1500 people in all, took a collective stand by pledging to support the growing boycott movement (known as BDS - Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) against the state of Israel.

The Kinvara community removed Israeli goods from their shops and restaurants and made international headlines by becoming the first and only Irish town to take this type of collective action, prompting the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland at the time, Ahmed Abdelrazek, to visit the south Galway village to thank the community.

A few years later, a group of children from Gaza were invited to play a football match in Kinvara.

“That day in 2017 was a special day for us all in the village,”John Griffin, who helped organise the event, recalls.

“And now once again, it is imperative for us all to remember the importance of solidarity, especially with the 40th anniversary of the Dunnes Stores strikes approaching,” he said.

“Those strikes by a small number of Irish people were credited by Nelson Mandela as delivering a significant blow to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Here in Kinvara is a small community with a strong voice. Together, we can send a strong message that a bombing campaign that contravenes international law and kills so many innocent civilians must stop,” he said.

In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of November 29th as the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” as per UN resolution 32/40 B.

On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine (resolution 181 (II))

The Kinvara harbour vigil will commence at two points in the village – the Kinvara primary school and Dunguaire Castle - and the two groups will walk to the Quay area to converge at the pier.

Members of the Palestinian community will be special guests at the vigil, which will culminate with music and a celebration of Palestinian food and culture at the end of the event in the Pier Head restaurant on the Quay.

People are encouraged to bring candles on the procession, and there will also be a light installation at the castle with the message “WE SEE YOU”.

The renowned singer-songwriter, Declan O’Rourke, will be attending the candle-lit vigil.

“On this special day, we want to say to our brothers and sisters who are suffering that ‘we see you’, and we will not turn our eyes away from this catastrophic time in the Middle East,” O’Rourke said.