During the weekend, the River Foyle will become awash with colour and excitement as a wide variety of maritime attractions and entertainment from throughout Ireland and beyond will be held in the city. The Queen’s Quay will be transformed into a maritime village with tall ships, naval vessels, and sailing boats while street entertainers and musicians will provide a host of on-street entertainment for all ages and tastes.

The Celtic European Festival of the Sea is a diverse programme of events and festivals celebrating a shared maritime heritage that is taking place throughout the North coast from Cushendall to Inishowen. The Finale Weekend will take place on the River Foyle, from June 2 – 4.

Speaking on the launch of the Derry Finale’s promotional brochure, Mayor, Councillor Lynn Fleming, said she was very much looking forward to the event.

She said: “The city is building on the success of previous maritime events, and we look forward to playing our part in this exciting Festival. We have been working together with North West Rural Development over the past two years in bringing together a programme that offers something for everyone. I particularly welcome the fact that this event encourages cross border links and brings together our communities in a shared heritage.

“The River Foyle and city have been linked throughout the centuries and this event will highlight our maritime heritage as well as show how the traditional use of boats can be adapted for modern day living. We hope it will attract visitors from throughout the region and further afield and provide a much welcomed economic and tourism boost to the region. I look forward to welcoming everyone to Queen’s Quay and to hosting another highly successful event.”

As part of the Finale Weekend programme, tall ships, navy vessels and sail boats will gather alongside Queen’s Quay where the Walk the Plank Theatre Ship will perform Noah’s Ark, and Eamon Friel’s Port Pageant, which has been adapted under the direction of Carmel McCafferty, will be performed each day by performers, young and old from The Playhouse and The Lilliput Theatre. Seafaring characters, Captain Deathrow Jethor and his mates, Seagulls and Bui Bolg will also be there to entertain the public.

Sponsor for the Derry Finale Weekend, Londonderry Port and Harbour, Brian McGarth said, ‘This is a great event which shows how we can use the river today for leisure use. The Port uses the River to bring economic benefit to the city and region, and we are happy to support events, which also highlight the leisure aspects of the river. We are looking forward to playing a part in these maritime events in the City and in Inishowen. From dinghy championships and cruiser races to pageants and carnival parades, this Festival promises to be the highlight of our 2006 maritime calendar.”

The Maritime Village will also be a buzz of activity, with exhibits from RNLI, Creggan Country Park, Loughs Agency and Seafood Marketing, and Derry’s own version of Read Steady Cook. The atmosphere will be electric as local buskers will be performing throughout Saturday.

The Festival Concert will add to the ‘festival’ atmosphere, with music by The Emerald Ceili Band, fresh from the City of Derry Jazz Festival Lee Hedley Band and the Blues Brothers Tribute Band.

It will be all hands on deck for Sunday’s Parade of Sail and those without a boat can sit back and enjoy spectacle from the quayside while enjoying the Port Pageant performance and the award winning Inishowen Carnival Parade. All in all it promises to be an extraordinary weekend of activity for every member of the family.

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