Festival Poster

Announcing the line-up for our community festival on 26th March

We’re delighted to announce that Chisty Dignam and Joe Jewell from Aslan will headline our FREE community festival on Saturday, 26th March.  The festival will take place at the plaza in Ballymun from 12noon until 3pm.  Everyone is welcome to attend, and please spread the word!  There will be music performances from a range of local acts throughout the day, stand-up comedy and children’s entertainment, with face-painting and clowns.  The full details of the Main Stage performers are here, and here’s our promotional poster:

Festival Poster

Christy Dignam (Aslan)

Community Festival to Feature Impressive Array of Local Stars

PRESS RELEASE

Community Festival to Feature Impressive Array of Local Stars

– Ballymun Youth Action Project to mark 30th anniversary with free festival –

A free community festival will take place at the plaza in Ballymun on Saturday, 26th March, from 12 noon to 3pm.  The festival is being organised by Ballymun Youth Action Project (BYAP) as part of a programme of events to mark its 30th anniversary.

BYAP – which is Ireland’s longest-running community-based response to drugs – was founded by local people in 1981 after three young people from Ballymun had died from drugs-related causes.  Over the past three decades, the Project has worked to tackle substance misuse in Ballymun and surrounding areas.

The community festival taking place on 26th March will feature an impressive array of performers with links to the local area.  Christy Dignam and Joe Jewell from Aslan will play a special set as headliners of the event.  Other performers will include local singer / songwriters Garry O’Brien and Niall O’Shea; samba band Munch; and Irish trad act, the Bold Fenian Men.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dermot King, Director of BYAP, said: “We have a great line-up for the event, featuring both well-established artists and up-and-coming local Ballymun acts. We wanted the programme to showcase the wealth of musical talent in Ballymun and surrounding areas.

“In addition to members of Aslan, the Bold Fenian Men, and established singer-songwriters, we also have a number of acts taking part that are involved in the Ballymun Regional Youth Resource Music Club, including Coldstone, Sappy and That’s What She Said.  Some of these will be performing for the first time, so the festival will offer visitors an opportunity to hear new sounds from Ballymun and sample a range of different musical experiences.

“We want the event to be a day of celebration for everyone, and we hope that large numbers of people from the local community will join us for a day of music, stand-up comedy and fun.  This is a free event, and there should be something there to appeal to all ages.”

In addition to music performances, the community festival will feature stand-up comedy from local comedians Dean Scurry and Eric Lalor.  There will also be children’s entertainment on offer, including free face-painting.

The full line-up for the festival is as follows:

  • Christy Dignam and Joe Jewell from Aslan.
  • Singer / songwriters Garry O’Brien, Niall O’Shea and Ciaran Moran.
  • Street Literature, DeXtra, and Sappy.
  • Stand-up comedians Dean Scurry and Eric Lalor.
  • That’s What She Said, Coldstone and Dean Doonan (Must Try DnD).
  • Samba band Munch.
  • Johnny Boy & Jambo.
  • Trad music from the Bold Fenian Men.

Other events organised by BYAP to mark the Project’s 30th anniversary include the ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition, which is running in the Horizons Centre on Balcurris Road until 26th March.  The exhibition was curated by acclaimed artists Guggi and John Duffy, and features work from Ballymun artists and past and present BYAP clients.  Opening hours are 2-5pm, Monday to Friday, and admission is free of charge.  The exhibition will open late next Thursday, 24th March – from 7 to 9pm.  It will be open on Saturday, 26th March, from 3 to 5pm.

A national conference on substance misuse is also taking place next week as part of BYAP’s 30th anniversary events.  This will take place on Wednesday, 23rd March, in Dublin Castle.

ENDS

Contact: Noomi Egan, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4806261 / 087-7449915

Start of our Anniversary Programme of Events

Our 30th anniversary programme of events kicked off last Friday (11th March), when President McAleese made a special visit to our presmises at the Horizons Centre on Balcurris Road.  We were delighted to welcome the President back to the Centre for her second visit to BYAP.

This time round, President McAleese helped to plant a rose-bush in our courtyard to commemorate those with links to BYAP who have died over the past 30 years.  She also visited our ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition, and made an excellent address to those present at the opening event.

President McAleese and Owen O Grady

President McAleese is presented with a bouquet of flowers by Owen O’Grady during her visit to BYAP

In addition to President McAleese’s visit, the official opening of the ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition also took place on Friday.  This was attended by the curators, Guggi and John Duffy, and by many of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibition.

John Duffy and Guggi pictured at the exhibition opening event

John Duffy and Guggi pose beside ‘My Man Bob’ by Christy, a BYAP client

Additional photographs from President McAleese’s visit and the art exhibition opening can be viewed here.

Visit by President McAleese and Launch of 30th Anniversary Events

President Mary McAleese will today (Friday, 11th March) visit the Horizons Centre to mark the beginning of our month long events to celebrate our 30th Anniversary.

During President McAleese’s visit, a rose bush will be planted as a reminder of all of our friends who have passed away in the past 30 years. Our Art Exhibition, ‘BYAP 30 Years’, will be officially opened during the President’s visit. As part of the exhibition, the public art project, which was undertaken by clients of BYAP, will be unveiled for the first time.

Further details on the events scheduled to take place throughout the month can be found here.