Community
Sarsfield Day Festival
Sarsfield Day Festival Weekend – Friday 8th – Sunday 10th August 2014
Come and enjoy a whole festival weekend dedicated to Limerick’s hero Patrick Sarsfield and the heroes of Limerick in 1690. Michael “Galloping” Hogan, Ned of the Hills, Honora de Burke and the Marquis de Boisseleau and 100 fully costumed Jacobean horsemen will ride through the streets of Limerick, for the first time in over 320 years , in a festival pageant commemorating Sarsfield’s historical ride to Ballyneety in 1690, to intercept and blow up the Williamite munitions train, which ultimately helped defend the walled city of Limerick to repel William of Orange and lead to the Treaty of Limerick in 1691.
This will be followed by a Sound & Light show and a spectacular fireworks display on the river in front of King Johns castle, to re-enact the massive explosion created at Ballyneety in August 1690, which was heard in the hills of Clare and further afar.
Be part of our city’s great historical and proud history.
Friday 8th August:
7.30pm Official opening – Big Top,Milk Market, Limerick
8.00pm HORSLIPS in Concert in the Milk Market, Limerick, in association with Dolans.
Saturday 9th August:
9.00am Sarsfields Ride (cycle tour) 135kms (85mls) – Start/Finish – King Johns Castle, Limerick. Top class cycle tour in conjunction with “Cycling Ireland” over the whole route of Sarsfields historic ride to Ballyneety in 1690 and continuing on to finish at King Johns Castle, Limerick. The route will travel through Counties Clare, Tipperary, Limerick, and finish at King John’s Castle, Limerick . (Check here shortly for route map & registration)
2.00pm Battle re-enactments and Medieval Fayre at Arthurs Quay park.
5.00pm Return of Sarsfields Ride Cycle Tour to King Johns Castle, with music and celebrities.
9.00pm 100 fully costumed Jacobean horsemen including Sarsfield, Galloping Hogan, Boisseleau, Ned of the Hills, Honora de Burke etc will ride out of King John’s castle over Thomond Bridge and down Clancys strand with a marching band, followed by an enormous fireworks display and Sound & Light show on the riverfront.
Sunday 10th August:
2.00pm Medieval Fayre with Battle Re-enactments at Arthurs Quay Park.
2.30pm Sarsfields Relay Run, to connect the 5 medieval parishes of Limerick, where a woman representing each parish,will
carry a torch in a relay, to honour the brave women of Limerick that defended the city against William of Orange.
3.oopm Tug of war, Falconry, Archery, Celebrities in the Stocks, Pig Roast, Kiddies entertainments & lots more.
5.00pm Prize Giving – Arthurs Quay Park- with music and celebrities.