Creative Ardagh: Very successful and exciting weekend!

Photo by Michael Croghan. For more photos click on the link to the President's visit page above.

Presidential Visit
Creative Ardagh would like to thanks everyone who helped make the President's visit a success. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit we encountered in the preparation time and on the day. Thank you all so much. Thank you also to the many people who accepted our open invitation to attend. It was great to be able to have representatives from most of the schools in the county, the various local groups and officials gathered together. We were especially pleased that we could welcome back attendees of the wide-ranging classes and events we have held over the last two and a half years.

As the President pointed out on the day every body has the capacity to be creative and having you all there was a wonderful way to demonstrate this and celebrate the diversity of our patrons: "I believe that art in whatever form it comes, should be made accessible to everyone and that it should be brought back into the daily lives of everyone." President Higgins also praised the “wide range of initiatives taking place here in the Ardagh Creativity and Heritage Centre and said it was “giving young and old the opportunity to engage in the creativity process and to learn new skills and to be able to talk to people without having to say something earth shatteringly brilliant!”

On the day the President toured the building meeting students and tutors from various classes in the art room, admiring the handmade products of the Creative Longford group in the craft gallery and meeting with members of Ardagh Moydow Reaching Out, Engage Longford and public representatives in the Heritage exhibition area. He also signed our visitors' book which also contains the signatures of previous Presidents and other visitors from all over the world.

Outside President Higgins was greeted by a guard of honour including local cubs, brownies and guides and school children from around the county. Brendan Farrell handed over the ceremonial Tree Planting Spade for the planting of a weeping willow by the President and he was then entertained by the moving dance by Orla McCarthy, ballerina accompanied by the wonderful harpist Mary Smyth before moving into the marquee to give his excellent speech.

Leprechaun and Fairy Treasure Hunt
The exciting events on Friday were followed by a more informal day at Creative Ardagh as we hosted a fun, family event, the Leprechaun and Fairy Treasure Hunt. Our little leprechaun and fairy visitors created some great St. Patrick's Day cards and an amazing rainbow before the big leprechaun ran away with the pot of gold and we all had to search the woods to find it. Lots of other fairies and leprechauns who dwell in the woods revealed themselves on the day to help with the search.

Photo by Michael Croghan


Photo by Michael Croghan

Creative Longford craft fair
On Sunday we finished off the weekend with the first ever Creative Longford craft fair. It was great to see many local return for the second or third time over the weekend and there seemed to be a great buzz in the marquee all day with lots of high quality handmade crafts finding new homes with the visitors. We also had a great face-painter in action and many of the attendees also got creative themselves in the art room. Hopefully we'll have many more days like this!