Proving there is always something new to learn, Limerick’s Lifelong Learning Festival kicks off this week with over 150 events and activities to interest, entertain and engage people of all ages! The festival, now in its fifth year, runs from Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th March 2015.
This year’s festival theme ‘Learning for Positive Living’ links learning with making positive changes in our lives and offers an incredibly varied selection of performances, debates, taster sessions, tours, demonstrations and workshops. From Tai Chi to ‘Gmail Know How’, all the events are open to the public and are organised and run by community groups, schools and organisations across the city and county providing everyone with the opportunity to join in.
Seamus Murnane enacting the folktale of Gearóid Iarla at the launch of the Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival last Friday. Picture by: Alan Place.
The festival was launched on Friday 13thMarch at Lough Gur Heritage Centre by local actor and Heritage Centre patron, Jon Kenny.As a learning element of the launch, local man and seanchaíJohn Carew told the folktale of GearóidIarla, 3rd Earl of Desmond, who is said to live beneath the waters of Lough Gur. Boys and girls from the local national school watched on as the tale was spectacularly re-enacted by Seamus Murnane riding a beautiful horse that emerged from the lake.
The Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival is organised by the Learning Limerick Steering Group which is representative of all of the main stakeholders involved in promoting learning across Limerick City and County. Speaking at the launch, Chair of the Learning Limerick Steering Group, Deirdre Minogue, said: “The fact that the Group is representative of all of the main stakeholders involved in promoting learning across the city and county bodes well for the future. Our combined commitment to promoting lifelong learning opportunities can only have positive consequences for the communities we serve.”
Seamus Murnane as Gearoid Iarla takes time out to tell students of Lough Gur National School, Ali Carew and Cameron Mallory, the tale of Gearoid Iarla, the third Earl of Desmond. Picture: Alan Place
Entry is free throughout the week to all events. The selection of events spansacross a wide variety of areas such as arts and crafts, music and dancing, sports and leisure, caring and health studies, gardening and horticulture, activities for children and young people, as well as many events exploring more traditional education and training areas.
Free copies of the 2015 Festival Programme are now available throughout Limerick and on www.Limerick.ie/LoveLearning with daily updates also on Facebook ‘Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival’ and on Twitter @LimerickLearningFest.
