Displaying items by tag: TedFest

24th January 2024

Aran Island of Inis Mór Hosts TedFest Once Again

The legendary “Craggy Island” will once again be recreated on the Aran island of Inis Mór when it hosts the annual TedFest in March.

The festival, inspired by the television series Father Ted with the late Dermot Morgan, has become a significant bookmark for the island’s tourist season with a weekend of “high-jinx” and harmless fun.

Set to run from Thursday, March 7th to Sunday, March 10th this year, it promises “copious cups of tea and sandwiches, a lot of red tank-tops, nuns on the run, priests on the pull, map-cap costumes, and of course a bishop getting a kick up the arse”.

Highlights will include the annual Lovely Girls Competition, Blind Date with Eoin McLove (Patrick McDonnell), Mrs Doyle Lip Sync Showdown, The Craggy Cup, Ted's Got Talent, Matchmaking with Nellie, The Priests Dance Off, TedMaster, The Hobby Horse Show, The Craggy Comedy Craic Den, The Reverse Wheel of Death and the Father Ted Prizeless Quiz.

Tedfest 2024 - (from left to right) Martin Boyle from Glasgow, Michael Mee from Yorkshire, Joanne Gorman from Finglas pictured at TedFest on the island of Inis Mór being chased by Dinosaurs Photo: Gareth Chaney

This year the music line-up includes a 15-piece band called the Circus Ponies. All activity will take place at the Aran Islands Hotel on Inis Mór, which has the space to accommodate the Music Stages, the Craggy Craic Den and a full extended line-up.

Preliminary events in Galway include the annual TedFest Table Quiz in Massimo's on Tuesday, 5th March and the TedFest Toilet Duck Awards in the Róisín Dubh on Wednesday, 6th March.

The organisers say that all accommodation on the island with “rooves, heating and running water” is now fully booked by TedFest revellers. However, there are currently spaces at the Aran island glamping village near Cill Rónain.

Organisers advise on the website "please do not buy a ticket unless you have privately sourced accommodation, or permission from another ticket holder to sleep with them.

Details on glamping are here

Published in Island News

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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.