The Dublin Docklands Maritime Festival starts this Friday lunchtime, with tall ships, Lifeboat demonstrations, live music, street performance and the Docklands swim all taking place over the long weekend. A full food market will be located on-site, with a children's area to keep the young ones entertained.

New to this year's festival is Bui Bolg from Co. Wexford, who are experts in the field of spectacle and street theatre. Bringing pirates, sea horses and stilt-walking Dublin Bay prawns to the riverside, Bui Bolg offer a combination of originality, impeccable professionalism, a unique sense of humor with just a touch of mischief to add to the magic!  Conor Lambert's Custard Pie Puppet Theatre will perform four free puppet shows a day in the chq building to keep the younger visitors amused!

Luas is partnering with the Docklands Maritime Festival and is offering 10,000 free Luas tickets over the June Banking Holiday weekend to those who wish to travel to the seventh annual maritime festival.

Last year, 150,000 visitors came to Docklands to the Festival and this year promises to be even better. Since last year the Luas Red Line has gone into service in the Docklands area with the opening of Luas Docklands (Line C1) at the end of 2009.

Admission to the festival is free for all, and

 

Music Stage Located on Custom House Quay

	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
1-3pm		The Roaring Forties	The Swinging Bluecats	The Bugle Babes
3.30-5.30pm		Gypsy Jazz Quartet	The Roaring Forties	Soul Purpose
6-8pm	The Bugle Babes (5-7)	Roots and Rye (6-7.30)	Gypsy Jazz Quartet
8-10pm	The Swinging Bluecats (7.30-9.30)	Soul Purpose

Quayside Performance Area Located on Sir John Rogerson's Quay

12.30-12.50pm	Saturday Dublin Shakespeare Festival	Sunday Dublin Shakespeare Festival	Monday
1-1.30pm	Crash Drumming Group	Torann	Torann
2-2.15pm	Tango Ireland	Tango Ireland	Tango Ireland
2.30-3pm			Torann
3-3.15pm			Tango Ireland
3-3.30pm	Crash Drumming Group	Torann	Dublin Shakespeare Festival (3.30 - 3.40)
4-4.15m	Tango Ireland	Tango Ireland	Tango Ireland
4.30-5pm			Torann
5-5.15pm			Tango Ireland
5-5.30pm	Crash Drumming Group	Torann
6-6.30pm	Tango Ireland	Tango Ireland

Free Children's Puppet Show Performances in chq Building

	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
Daily at 1, 2.30, 4 and 5.30pm	Custard Pie Puppet Company	Custard Pie Puppet Company	Custard Pie Puppet Company

Outdoor Song/Dance Shows Located on George's Dock Platform

	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
12pm,2pm and 4pm	NPAS	NPAS
1pm, 3pm and 5pm	McCormack Fay Irish Dancers	Celtic Dance Fusion	McCormack Fay Irish

The RNLI is delighted to be involved in this year's Maritime Festival. Over 150,000 people will visit Dublin's Docklands over the course of the June bank holiday weekend and we hope to have up to raise awareness of the RNLI and to raise funds for the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards. We are looking for volunteers to help with the RNLI Shop, the Lifeboat Training Simulator and with selling Lifeboat badges.

The festival runs as follows:
Friday 1pm – 10pm
Saturday, 10am – 10pm
Sunday 10am – 8 pm
Monday 10am -6pm.

If you’re around on any of these days and have even a few hours to spare, why not come down and help out?

Please email [email protected] to put your name down or contact Aisling on 01 895 1800

Many thanks in advance for your support

Dublin's thriving Docklands area is the place to be this June Bank Holiday weekend, with the seventh annual Docklands Maritime Festival running from 4th of June to 7th of June 2010. With a record 150,000 visitors at last year's Festival, this year's event takes place on the quays both north and south of the Liffey with attractions for all ages.  The river will be a buzz of activity and the tall ship, Jeanie Johnston will welcome visiting tall ships, Artemis, Bessie Ellen, Notre Dame de Rumengol and the Irish naval vessel, L. E. Aoife, giving people the chance to experience first hand what life on the ocean waves is like. Dublin's river tour service, the Liffey River Cruise, will be in operation offering relaxing cruises along the river. 

Enjoy imaginative theatrical performances throughout the festival 
Alongside the stunning tall ships, there will be plenty of entertainment for all the family including a breathtaking array of street theatre, musical entertainment and amusements all creating a fun carnival atmosphere.  New to this year’s festival is Bui Bolg from Co. Wexford, who are experts in the field of spectacle and street theatre.   Bringing pirates, sea horses and stilt-walking Dublin Bay prawns to the riverside, Bui Bolg offer a combination of originality, impeccable professionalism, a unique sense of humor with just a touch of mischief to add to the magic! 
Conor Lambert’s Custard Pie Puppet Theatre will perform four free puppet shows a day in the chq building to keep the younger visitors amused!

Sing and dance along to funky music acts on two live stages
Music acts on the riverside include the bubblegum American sounds of the Andrews Sisters with The Bugle Babes who will perform on the Friday evening and Monday lunchtime of the festival.  Gypsy Jazz Quartet and The Swinging Blue Cats return again this year with their jazzy, jive and swing numbers and will be joined by The Roaring Forties from Cork who will bring their own blend of jazz and swing.   Brand new this year is ‘Soul Purpose,’ a six piece band who will deliver some timeless soul and funk music on the quayside, and ‘Roots and Rye’ a Dublin based five piece country and roots band.  Tango Ireland will bring the south campshires alive during the festival with free performances of this popular and sophisticated dance from Argentina.

See the brave take to the water and protect or shores
In the water, swimmers from all over Dublin will take part in the annual Docklands Swim, which takes place on Saturday, 5th June during the Docklands Maritime Festival.  This challenging 1.1 kilometre swim is organised by the NAC Masters Swimming Club and is the first swim of a series of 30 races over the Summer.   The best viewing areas will be from the Sean O’Casey and Samuel Beckett Bridges. 
The Coast Guard and RNLI will also be on hand to add to the maritime activity and on Sunday, June 6th the Coast Guard Helicopter will to do a fly over along the Liffey and perform a mock water rescue.

Then fit in time for a of lunch and some shopping 
The Festival will also feature the biggest (and best!) outdoor market in the city, with a fabulous selection of crafts, clothing, jewellery, paintings, flowers and plants, as well as the mouth-watering gourmet meats, cheeses and breads.