Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures 2009 (1)

This year's event will be the ninth to shake Dun Laoghaire residents to their roots. I tried in vain to get an interview with the chief organiser, Jody Ackland, back in June. Arranging a conversation with Saint Peter would be easier.

I did however, get to do a preview of the festival for Metro Eireann. ME is a weekly multicultural newspaper in a tabloid format and is aimed at immigrants and those drawn to our shores from overseas. Although containing relatively few articles, it is eye-opening - quality rules over quantity. I have become a regular purchaser and hope to remain so in the future. For those interested, ME costs €1 and can be bought in all branches of Easons. I regard it as essential reading.

My sincere thanks go to Catherine Reilly (Deputy Editor), who has been a great help to me in getting some of my work published in ME (two articles, so far!). Catherine is a hardworking journalist and I will always be grateful to her for allowing me the opportunity to get onto the journalistic ladder.

Anyway the festival, this year, has Jane Birkin headlining and as the cliché goes: 'there's something for everyone'to enjoy. I'm looking forward to catching the Irish-domociled,Jamaican musician and one-time acolyte of Bob Marley's: Natty Wailer. He is due to play at the Newtownsmith stage tomorrow (29th August 2009) and should be of great interest. I'm going to roam around DL over the course of the weekend and will try and bring some of the excitement to viewers of IANO'S CHRONICAL.

This evening I'll be helping my Amnesty Ireland colleagues get set up for the weekend in the County Hall, Dun Laoghaire. There will be a stall and exhibition on human rights. Amnesty,alongside other worthy organsiations,always has a presence at the festival and anyone can come along and view the stalls for the duration of the festival. Hopefully many will come to DL and enjoy a festival that, in Jody Ackland's words: "radiates pure cultural celebration!" See ya tomorrow......