Over the May Bank Holiday weekend (April 30th to May 2nd) the oldest original working lighthouse in the world is set to host a series of events and demonstrations during the ‘Great Lighthouses of Ireland’ Annual Shine A Light Festival.
The fun-filled festival is set to shine a light on all things maritime and activities will get underway at Hook Lighthouse in County Wexford from noon on Saturday, April 30th from 12 noon to 4 pm daily.
The festival weekend places a large emphasis on sea safety at what is typically the beginning of the bathing and boating season and throughout the weekend an opportunity to learn first-hand about safety at sea with free demonstrations on offer with ‘The Big Rig’ from members of the Irish Coast Guard all weekend long. Members of the RNLI Fetahrd On Sea crew with sea safety advice.
An action-packed weekend is on offer with free fun and games for all the family and entertainment from the Hook band of pirates. Younger visitors will have the chance to join in pirate fun and games with Pirate Pat and the Hook Pirates who will host all sorts of Piratey fun and games. The Dunbrody Archers will also be on site demonstrating archery and offering ‘try out’ opportunities.
The ‘Shine A Light Festival’ takes place in conjunction with the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, ‘Shine a Light’ events over the May bank holiday weekend whereby 12 lighthouses around Ireland including Hook Lighthouse will shine a light and celebrate and share the rich tradition and work that they did of carrying out daily.
Tours are on offer at Hook Lighthouse 7 days a week, visitors to the 800-year-old lighthouse can take a step back in time on a guided tour and learn of the story of St. Dubhan and his fellow fifth Century Monks, the greatest Knight that ever lived William Marshal and hear the stories from the Lightkeepers themselves.
For all of the festival details in Wexford see www.hookheritage.ie and for details on the Great Lighthouses of Ireland see www.greatlighthouses.com
