Fáilte go Leenane Village

The Field 25th Anniversary Festival September 25th - 26th 2015

The Field 25th anniversary celebrations a huge success...                                    

It was 25 years ago that the village of Leenane took centre stage in Jim Sheridan's movie, The Field. Many people from the village took their place in front of the camera alongside Sean Bean, John Hurt, Brenda Fricker, Tom Berenger and of course, the oscar nominated Richard Harris. To celebrate the anniversary, Leenane Village held a series of events in September 2015.

The celebrations for 25th anniversary of the film “The Field” hosted in Leenane village on the 25th -26th September was a great success, everyone both the local community and visitors alike really enjoyed themselves. It was a pleasure to have so many guests attend the event, many of them having traveled long distances serves to prove the impact of the event. The festival celebrated something that is now fundamental to Leenane village . It is one of the reasons Leenane is such popular tourist destination.

We were honored to have: Minister of State at the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport Michael Ring TD, also Eamon O Cuiv. TD

Acclaimed film director and director of The Field Jim Sheridan accompanied by his wife Fran officially opened the festival. Along with a photo exhibition a visitor information brochure was launched on the opening night.

Fr Michel Mac Greil SJ conducted a very powerful reflection on the Ethical and Religious issues raised in the Film in Aslaagh church which included the enchanting singing of Mary Ann Coyne.

Two showings of The Field were presented at the Sheep and Wool Centre which also includes tours of the museum and back-to-back demonstrations.

The ‘Taste of Connemara’ walk proved very popular, which offered spectacular scenery a chance to sample the delights of Killary Fjord Shellfish and pay a visit to Killary Sheep Farm

The bird duck race raised valuable funds for the Leenane Crèche (The Sea Garden)

The outdoor theatre event drew huge crowds and the local actors taking part left nothing to be desired.

The festival was rounded off by a well-attended Céile,

The festival would not have happened without the amazing support and generosity of our many sponsors. Without this backing this event would not have taken place. A heart felt thank you to everyone who helped in any way to make the 25th anniversary of the Film “The Field” such a sensational experience.