Ballylanders Pattern Festival underway with packed schedule up to Sunday, August 18

2024 Ballylanders Pattern Festival gets underway with a schedule packed full of family-friendly events up to Sunday, August 18

The 2024 Ballylanders Pattern Festival brings an annual event of cherished tradition to the south Limerick village running until Sunday, August 18

The Ballylanders Pattern Festival kicked off with a table quiz at Gallahue’s Hall on Friday, August 9, kicking off the annual festival which is a much-loved tradition, packed with a family-friendly schedule for the week ending Sunday, August 18.

This year’s festival started with the table quiz with quiz master Matt O’Callaghan, which drew a large crowd to help fund the festival’s free events including live music, children’s entertainment, and much more keeping the tradition alive and buzzing.

Organisers of the table quiz thanked everyone for their support, saying, “Thank you to everyone who helped on the night, anyone who entered a team and to all those who couldn’t attend but very kindly donated. All proceeds from our table quiz go to running the free events for our festival.

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“By supporting this event you have helped to keep our festival alive and well. Here’s to the start of a great week!”

Also taking place ahead of this year’s festival was a ‘mingle, munch, make-up and more’ event held by the Mothers & Others group in the Ballylanders GAA clubhouse on Saturday, August 10, with festival organisers saying, “Well done to the organisers, hosts and speakers who provided a lovely nights entertainment for all who attended.”

The festival boasts a jam-packed schedule, one of the highlights of the festival is the Pattern Day on Thursday, August 15th beginning with a traditional Catholic mass in the local graveyard at 11 a.m., followed by a Craft & Country Market in the schoolyard.

Originally the Ballylanders Pattern Festival was a gathering for locals and people who returned from overseas to meet family and friends as part of the tradition to reunite those who had moved abroad. Now, decades after it began and still celebrated alongside the Feast of the Assumption, which this year takes place on Thursday, August 15, the festival in time developed into a community event including local GAA events, street entertainment and continues to bring young and old together. 

The village will be buzzing with activities throughout the day, including fun events in the Village Park, a Family Fun Nature Event at Griston Bog, and a lively street party. The evening will feature a Fancy Dress Parade led by the newly elected Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, accompanied by the Liam Lynch Pipe Band, as well as open-air music and a Slow Bicycle Race outside the church.

A number of different activities will be on offer throughout the week, children can enjoy a Creative Craft Workshop and a Neon Disco on Tuesday, August 13, while Lego enthusiasts can join a pop-up club on Tuesday and Wednesday. The festivities continue with Bingo on Friday, Ballylanders Macra’s 75th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, and a Tractor Run, Family Fun Day, and Dog Show on Sunday.

Running up to Sunday, August 18, the Bsallylanders Pattern Festival is the perfect opportunity to experience the traditional events in and support the south Limerick village.