Booker prize winner Anne Enright, in conversation with James Ryan. Anne Enright is one of Ireland's wittiest and most incisive commentators on modern life, as well as being one of our very best novelists and short story writers. Amongst her works are The Wig My Father Wore, The Gathering and The Lives of Eliza.

James Ryan is the author of four novels, South of the Border being the most recent. He is currently director of the undergraduate and postgraduate programme in creative writing at University College Dublin.

RMDS 21, A History of the School
Published by The Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School. Launched by Mary O'Rourke T.D.

Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School (RMDS) celebrated its 21st birthday on 1st September 2009. To mark the occasion, and to celebrate the history of the school, this book traces the story of RMDS, from the early meetings of the parents of St Columba's NS, which was due to close in 1990, to the establishment of the Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School Association (RMDSA) and the setting up of the seventh Educate Together national school.

Once the school was established, the campaign to build a new school gathered momentum, culminating in the opening of the award winning building in 1998, to which an extension was added in 2007.

The past 21 years are chronicled and celebrated in this book by the children, teachers, parents and others who have shared in this history and played a part in shaping the school. The book hopes to impart a sense of the overall purpose and direction that establishes where RMDS is now and the journey that has brought it there.


THE LIVING STREETS, An Anthology of The Ranelagh Arts Festival
Edited by Charles Crockatt

This year at the Ranelagh Arts Festival 2009, in conjunction with Seven Towers Press, we have put together an anthology of Ranelagh writers who have participated in the festival over the years. The anthology also includes some illustrations and photographs by local artists.


RANELAGH IN PICTURES, A Place in History, by Susan Roundtree.
Published by A&A Farmer
A fascinating scrapbook of pictures of one of Dublin's best-loved villages.

Ranelagh was originally notorious as the out-of-town picnic spot where the rebel O'Tooles massacred numerous Dublin citizens in 1215. Not much happened after then until Ranelagh Gardens was set up in the 18th century, now chiefly famous as the take-off point of Ireland's first manned balloon flight in 1785.

In the mid 19th century Ranelagh was two active villages, Cullenswood to the south and Ranelagh to the north. Over time they gradually grew together, and sadly for history the name of Cullenswood was dropped. By the late 19th century Ranelagh was much as we know it today. Ranelagh in Pictures brings those early days to life, with historic maps, vivid street scenes, shops, house interiors and famous Ranelagh personalities from Patrick Pearse and Maureen O'Hara to Ken Doherty and Garret FitzGerald. Special portraits of well known Ranelagh-ites and scenes from the Ranelagh Arts Festival bring the scrapbook up to date.

ISBN 978-1-906353-12-4
128 pages full colour €14.99

Susan Roundtree is an architect with a special interest in architectural history and building conservation. Her post-graduate research includes an architectural history of Mountpleasant Square (published, in part, as an essay in The Georgian Squares of Dublin, Four Courts Press) and, more recently, a history of the use of clay brick in Ireland. She is a senior architect with Dublin City Council and has been a resident of Ranelagh for 25 years.

This event has become increasingly popular in previous festivals and we expect an even larger attendance this year. The format remains the same - all are welcome to come and read their work. Well-known poets in the Ranelagh area who have taken part previously include Anthony Cronin, Anne Haverty, MacDara Woods, Elaine Ni Chuillinean, Ronan Sheehan and Louise Callaghan. Robert Frost.

Following on from last years reading of 'Under Milk Wood' Brendan Ellis is asking people to read a poem of Robert Frost's and/or play a tune that you might hear on a Winter's night in Vermont.

'There's a patch of old snow in a corner, that I should have guessed was a blow-away paper the rain had brought to rest.
It is speckled with grime as if small print overspread it, The news of a day I've forgotten - If I ever read it.'

Robert Frost

Poetry reading by Ross Hattaway, Eamon Lynskey, Noel Ó Briain and Raven on the theme of Heroes and Anti-Heroes. The short play Don Quixote Has Been Promoted by Oran Ryan, featuring Noel Ó Briain (Narrator), Raven (Rocinante) and Eamonn Lynskey (Dead Corpse) will follow. Oran Ryan is a novelist, poet, playwright, screenwriter and literary critic from Portobello, Dublin. Noel Ó Briain is a poet, playwright, actor, director and producer living in Camolin, Co Wexford. Eamonn Lynskey is a well known Dublin poet. Raven, live poet, has shared the stage at the seminal Sacred Grounds Poetry, San Francisco. Ross Hattaway's collection The Gentle Art of Rotting was published by Seven Towers in 2006. Colm Desmond (stage design for the event), visual artist. His photographic work is in the IADT and OPW State Art collections.

3 Women…4 Men…7 Murderers…

The Ranelagh Players' production of Jane Mulcahy's gritty work addresses the "mensrea" of murder i.e. the intention to kill. In Murder Monologues a group of killers are placed under the spotlight and given the opportunity to explain their homicidal motivations and the circumstances of their crimes.

(Contains strong language with some graphic description of violence and has some strong sexual content. Not considered suitable for under 15s)

Bringing their mix of rock'n'roll, blues and voodoo scat to Ranelagh.

Singer and guitarist Noel Mac Avenue played a set of country blues at the first Ranelagh Arts Festival in 2005, and returns to the Festival in 2009 with the Blueshawks, a reelin' rockin' band from the Delta featuring Conlan brothers Rory (saxophone) and Neil (vocals, bass, harmonica), and Aidan O'Donovan (drums). Aside from his superb bass playing Neil will also be singing a selection of songs from his debut album 'Know This', released in 2008.

Musicians:
This year's concert includes 3 of the brilliant musicians who performed at last year's sell out concert and who have been such great friends of the Festival over the years:

Áine N Dhubhghaill, harp.
Caoimhin Ó Briain, cello.
Ciaran Tourish, fiddle. Member of Altan.
Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, fiddle and vocals. Member of Altan. Has just released her solo album, Imeall.
Manus Lunny bouzouki, guitar and vocals. Member of Caparcaille.

Last year's concert celebrated the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Scoil Eanna, located on Oakley Road. This year the Festival stages another concert to salute the four schoolmasters of Scoil Eanna, and their contribution to education, community, the arts and Ireland's struggle for independence. They were executed in 1916, for their part in the Easter rising.

Patrick Pearse; Writer, dramatist, orator and educationalist and was founder and headmaster of Scoil Eanna. He was also a Commander in Chief of the revolutionary forces and president of the Provisional Government.
Thomas McDonagh; Poet, playwright and teacher.
Willie Pearse; Sculptor and art teacher in Scoil Éanna (See associated exhibition).
Con Colbert; Physical education teacher and gifted piper.

Il Coro Italiano, founded in 1986 by Dr. Rosa Maria Chicco-Ferraro, will open the concert. It is comprised for the most part of adult students of Italian language and Literature in Dublin.

Note to patrons: Full bar facilities are available in the Tennis Club all evening. We encourage patrons to please avail of them and come early.

Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine - Parallel Universes

The Bouzouki Boys
The first bouzouki was brought to Dublin by Anne Briggs. Her then boy friend, Johnny Moynihan, and his friends Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny, have since propelled a previously unknown instrument in contemporary 'trad/folk' line-ups into being de rigueur in the genre. Andy and Donal's passion for and exploration of Balkan and East European rhythms is another lasting legacy of these two amazingly influential musicians; an influence which extends into many different forms of music, perhaps the best example being Bill Whelan's world famous 'Riverdance'.

The Left Hand of God
Donal Lunny has continually been at the forefront of developments in traditional/folk music in Ireland and Europe since the Sixties. Every twist of the road, every turn, up hill and down dale finds Donal at the centre of the tradition in his role as arranger, composer, producer, musician and singer.

Like decades of the rosary, the bands we associate with him - Emmet Spiceland, Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Coolfin - resonate and resound through our memories. The list of albums that Donal has produced is a long one; for so many of us they echo our youth and modern Ireland's musical heritage.

Donal has recently been appointed artist in residence at the University of Limerick, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. Last year he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Trinity College University. He is also a member of Aosdana.

First Knight of The Road
In the parallel universe that he strides through we find Andy Irvine following his musical heart, often collaborating with fellow travellers like Donal.

No other Irish based musician has done so much to merge traditional Irish reels and rhythms with the folk music of North America, Scotland, England, and Eastern Europe, or to give the songs of those countries an Irish setting; a seamless merging that enriches all the traditions that he touches. Andy is a brilliant songwriter, and many of his compositions have been absorbed into the general canon of Irish traditional music, which is perhaps the ultimate accolade his work could receive.

Andy has played in Sweeney's Men, Planxty, De Dannan and Patrick Street, all highly influential bands. His solo career, which in its turn has been influenced by the songs and philosophy of his great hero Woody Guthrie, has brought his music to every corner of the globe.

Surely it's time that Andy joins his colleague and friend in Aosdana.

Over the last number of years Andy and Donal have worked together with the wonderful Mozaik and will be touring Ireland with them in October and November.

Note to patrons: Full bar facilities are available in the Tennis Club all evening. We encourage patrons to please avail of them and come early.

"the hottest honky tonk band east of the Pecos"
Dermott Hayes, Hot Press

A night to bring your dancin' shoes! There's goin' to be a whole lot of shakin' goin' on in the Tennis Club on Saturday night. Chris Meehan and his Redneck Friends is a band that embraces country music in all its many forms.

Later this year, the band will feature at a number of leading festivals throughout the country, such as the Cork Folk Festival and Sligo Live. Now on release is their new album "Dancing in the Kitchen", produced by legendary Nashville producer Jim Rooney, who unfortunately cannot be here in Ranelagh with Chris and the band.

Chris Meehan: piano/vocal
Bobby Kelly: acoustic guitar/vocal
Eamon Murray: tenor sax
Brian Harris and Francie Lenehan: electric guitar
Percy Robinson: pedal steel guitar,
Matt Cranitch: fiddle,
Gerry O'Connor: viola/mandola
Ronnie O'Flynn: bass
Mick O'Connor: drums

Ana and Ide Leddy, Mary Roche on backing vocals.
Kelan Walsh, baritone sax, and special guest, singer Michele Rayfus.

Although recently formed, many of the members of The Ranelagh Singers have performed at the Ranelagh Arts Festival since its inception in 2005. This year we are delighted to perform, under the direction of our musical director Rosemary O'Brien, Schubert's Mass in G Major and a selection of choral and organ works by the Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford. Accompanied by our regular organist Charles Pearson, we look forward to our concert and hope to see you there!

Now in its fourth year, The Mark Cabena Battle of the Bands has become a staple of the festival programme and is not to be missed. Young bands from Ranelagh and environs will perform on an open-air stage in Ranelagh Gardens. Judged by a panel of professionals, there are top prizes to be won. The winners also take home the prestigious Bistro Bianconi Pizza Award. Last year's winners, Severe Naked Crisis, will headline the show. Stick around for the Rockfest afterwards.

The Battle of the Bands is named after Mark Cabena, a member of the band Immaculate Conception, who won the inaugural Battle of the Bands in 2006. Mark, a brilliant young musician, died of Sudden Cardiac Death aged 18 during the summer of 2007.

The first event of its kind for the Ranelagh Arts Festival. Come along and enjoy the satisfying strains of Zealots, The Dead Flags, and local band The Hot Sprockets in Ranelagh Gardens. Prepare thyself to rock and/or roll.

Once again, Ranelagh restaurants are offering a special festival menu, featuring some outstanding musical acts Please book directly with your restaurant of choice early booking is advised to avoid disappointment.

For the first time RAF presents the "Street Music Scene", a collection of local buskers plying their trade at the Triangle in Ranelagh throughout the weekend.
James O'Toole: From The Beatles to Bauhaus, covers and originals
Jamie Macdonald: Collection of Irish classics and 70's folk
Funky Damo Trio: Galway based acoustic funk collective
Wascana: Dublin born and bred groove rock
Thai Well: present traditional Thai Dancing

Official Sponsors of the festival will be hosting music events on Sunday afternoon. Check for our 'Friend of the Festival' stickers at the venues (they should be in the window) and ask for list of events at the Ranelagh Arts Shop 26,Ranelagh.

Do you want to learn what it takes to become a top class DJ? Learn the basics in this friendly hands-on course for beginners, suitable for all ages and skill levels. You will be introduced to: setting up your equipment, beatmatching and scratching along with various tips and hints that will help you stay ahead of the pack of all those sucka DJ's out there.

ORDER OF EVENTS

It is back again! One of the most popular events of the Festival is the Family Fun Day and Children's Parade. You won't be disappointed!

The park will be jammed with entertainment for all ages including face painting, traditional games and street entertainers. Not only will you be able to witness some of the rising stars on the stage with the Independent Theatre Workshop finale but "Space, The Final Frontier" Parade will land in the park in all its glory after its odyssey from Scoil Bhride via Beechwood Road and Annavilla. There promises to be plenty of colour with all the self made costumes. If you are hoping to hear some good old-fashioned drumming the children will be accompanied by the fantastic Mad Hatters as in previous years. Michael Bourke will bring the finishing touches as he leads the parade in his roll as Grand Marshall.

If you miss the parade, don't worry- Conor Lambert's famous Punch and Judy Puppet Show and the brand new act, Ted Jacobs with his Escape Artist and Magic Show will keep the whole family entertained.

This year we are delighted to present Neil Jordan in conversation with Pat McCabe. This is a great opportunity to hear Ireland's finest film maker talk in person about his work as a director and writer.

Neil Jordan is also a talented novelist and an Academy Award winning screen writer. His films include Angel, The Company of Wolves, Mona Lisa, We're No Angels, The Crying Game, Michael Collins, The Butcher Boy, Breakfast on Pluto and The Brave One. His eagerly awaited next release is Ondine, shot on location in Ireland and starring Colin Farrell.

Pat McCabe is one of Ireland's most successful novelists. Two of his novels, The Butcher Boy and Breakfast on Pluto have been adapted for the screen by Neil Jordan. Pat is also a co-organizer of the acclaimed Flat Lake festival which takes place every August in his native Co Monaghan.

Their meeting in Sandford Park School and their subsequent 'Conversation' will prove to be one of the great Ranelagh Arts Festival events.

Membership is €20 and restricted to 35 members.
Members pay €4 on the night. Screenings will be monthly for features, with special screenings of shorts from local filmmakers where possible in between.

Tickets: Membership is €20 and restricted to 35 members. Members pay €4 on the night. Screenings will be monthly for features, with special screenings of shorts from local filmmakers where possible in between.

In honour of the 159th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini's birth, Austrian director Robert Dornheim has created a celluloid version of the 1896 opera La Boheme, starring Rolando Villazon as Rodolfo and Anna Netrebko as Mimi. The Village Cine-Club is one way in which celebration of the arts can continue all year round. We hope to create an intimate atmosphere that will draw you away from the stagnant air of the cineplexes, where you can enjoy your tipple in an environment that supports another world of film. Where possible, it will reflect the local interest and the subterranean connections between Ranelagh and film.

Ranelagh Arts Festival & the Village Cine-Club present a silent screening, with musical accompaniment by Richard Farrell and Simon Wall, of History of Harry.

NB. In case of adverse weather conditions, it is advisable to bring "sitting" material.

NOSFERATU - A SYMPHONY OF HORRORS
Directed by F.W. Murnau; Year of Production - 1921 (Germany); Duration - 93mins; Silent with English intertitles and live music by 3epkano*

An iconic film of the German expressionist cinema, and one of the most famous of all silent movies, F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror continues to haunt - and, indeed, terrify - modern audiences with the unshakable power of its images. By teasing a host of occult atmospherics out of dilapidated set pieces and innocuous real-world locations alike, Murnau captured on celluloid the deeply rooted elements of a waking nightmare, and launched the signature "Murnau-style" that would change cinema history forever.

* 3epkano are a Dublin based, seven-piece collective dedicated to producing original soundtracks for silent and avant-garde cinema. Founded in early 2004, they are:

Richard McCullough: keyboards/organ
James Mackin: drums/percussion
Matthew Nolan: electric guitar
Laurence Mackin: bass guitar
Cameron Doyle: electric guitar
Lioba Petrie: cello
Karen Dervan: viola

A busload of artists from Ranelagh, and their friends- painters, photographers, video artists and scribes - descended on Leap Castle in Co. Offaly, home of Tin-Whistle 'Maestro' Sean Ryan, his wife Ann Callanan and their daughter (step dancing champion and musician extraordinaire) Ciara Ryan, in July of this year.

The artists photographed, sketched and recorded their memories, lunch was served and strong drink imbibed. Sean and Ciara were joined by their friend, De Dannan's Alec Finn, stopping in on his way to the Willie Clancy Week in Milltown Malbay and a music session ensued. The resulting exhibition records their impressions of a haunting and magical place.

Artists include Charles Crockatt, Felicity Finlay, Niall Flaherty, Gerhardt Gallagher, Brian Henderson, Eamon Gogarty, Angel Luis Gonzalez Imelda Healy, Kate Horgan, Ann Murphy, Katy Simpson, Darragh Owens, Robin Grace, Rory Pierce and Heather Finn.

This Exhibition documents the many people and places Robin has encountered throughout the World, including countries such as Mongolia, China, India and Uganda. "Impressions of Place" tells the story of people and how they live, their culture and spirituality. His affinity for documentary led him to work for press agencies in both Limerick and London. Robin is now based in Dublin, and is working as a freelance photographer. Born in Ireland, Robin Grace studied Photography and Digital Imaging at Reading College and School of Art and Design. This marks a new development for Ranelagh Arts Festival - the first time we have had an event in a private house. Congratulations to Robin on his initiative.

Visit the railings of Mountpleasant Square on Saturday and Sunday and browse the photographic talent of local enthusiasts and amateurs. It is an excellent opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with photographers.

Inspired by the art of William Pearse, Dublin-based visual artist Felicity Finlay will be exhibiting at Scoil Bhríde. Finlay's work will also be on view for those attending Festival events in Scoil Bhríde on Tuesday and Wednesday. This exhibition complements the concert to commemorate the four schoolmasters of Scoil Éanna, of which William Pearse was one.

"Willie Pearse and his world: William Pearse was a promising young artist at the turn of the century. The period 1892 to 1916 was marked by cultural and national development. Willie Pearse as both artist and patriot contributed to this development. His contemporaries in the art world have all been acknowledged; the sculptors, Oliver Sheppard and Albert Power; the painters sir William Orpen, Sarah Purser, Sean Keating, Jack B. Yeats and indeed his own pupil, Patrick Tuohy. I believe that Willie Pearse had time and history been on his side would have been celebrated too." (The late Turlough Breathnach, curator Pearse Museum)

Dan O'Brien, Noel Whelan and Ruari Quinn TD discuss the state of the economy. Chaired by Damien Kiberd.

Just ten days before The Lisbon Referendum Mark 2 the Ranelagh Arts Festival is delighted to welcome such a distinguished panel to debate 'issues' of the day concerning our economy and what the future holds for us indeed for Europe and the World. Not wanting to sound like The Skibereen Eagle, it is a great opportunity for a Ranelagh audience to participate in what is whatout doubt the No 1 topic of the day.

Dan O'Brien is a senior member of the editorial staff of the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. Over the past decade he has contributed to debate in Ireland on a range of issues through his writings and broadcast media appearances, and is best known for his regular appearances on RTE's PrimeTime and comment articles in the Irish Times. The publication of his new book 'Ireland, Europe and the World: Writings on a New Century' will coincide with the Ranelagh Arts Festival, and as a native of the village, he will be returning to Scoil Bhride, where he was educated to the age of 12, to participate in a discussion on some of the issues raised in the book.

Barrister, author and journalist Noel Whelan is one of the most sought after panellists on both Radio and TV, His Saturday column in the Irish Times is often thought provoking and he is considered one of 'the canniest' commentators on the Irish political scene, his 'The Tallyman's Campaign Handbook' are the definitive accounts of both the 2002 and the 2007 elections.

Ruairí Quinn TD continues a long line of high profile TDs that have represented the Dublin South East Constituency that includes Sean McEntee and Garrett Fitzgerald. Ruairí has being Leader of the Labour Party, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance. An architect by profession he has represented Dublin South East since 1973 and his book 'Straight Left' was a best seller and is considered among the most successful Irish political memoirs

Damien Kiberd is one of the most recognisable voices on Irish radio; Damien Kiberd is an award winning broadcaster and journalist. A graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Damien was a founding member of The Sunday Business Post in 1989 and proceeded to edit the publication until 2001. Damien currently contributes to The Sunday Times where he writes a weekly column on Irish economics. Damien has won three coveted PPI Radio Awards for his broadcasting, two of which were in the competitive "News Programme of the Year" category and he currently hosts a daily talk show on 4fm.

Tickets: Free. Each walk will accommodate a maximum of 30 people, places must be pre booked with the Ranelagh Arts Festival Office, 26 Ranelagh.

Walking tours of Ranelagh, led by local history enthusiasts Honor O Brolcháin, Bryan O'Sullivan and Sally Corcoran always attract great interest at the festival. Each walk lasts about one hour, giving a fascinating insight into the history of the area and an opportunity to learn about social aspects of life through the ages in Ranelagh. Honor's walk at 11.00 a.m. on Saturday, will start at Sandford Church (top of Marlborough Road). All other walks will start at the Angle (Triangle) in Ranelagh.

After the Montgolfier brothers launched the first air balloon in France in 1783, balloon fever swept across the major cities of Europe. The events brought thousands to the streets to watch with astonishment this daring and dangerous trespass in the realms of the gods.

In Dublin, a scientist-cum-showman named Richard Crosbie took up the challenge and experimented with unmanned balloon flights throughout 1784. He was a Wicklow man, descended from a north Kerry landlord family, and had spent some riotous years as a student in Trinity College. In January 1785, in a blaze of publicity, he became the first Irishman to fly when he launched a successful balloon flight from Ranelagh Gardens. He went on to organise two more flights from Dublin and one from Limerick, after which he seems to slip out of the public eye.

Bryan MacMahon tells the amazing story of Richard Crosbie (and his fellow balloon-atics) with a wide range of illustrations from the period.

Bryan MacMahon was, until recently, a teacher in Cabinteely Community School. He is from north Kerry, and has an interest in its history, as well as that of Stillorgan where he now lives. He has published The Story of Ballyheigue (1994) and Eccentric Archbishop: Richard Whately of Redesdale (2005). He gives regular talks to local history societies and has contributed recent articles to The Irish Sword, History Ireland and The Kerry Magazine.

John Bagnell Bury was a distinguished Trinity scholar and lived at 1 Dartmouth Place. His history of Greece has been used as a textbook in schools all over the world. Ronan Sheehan, locally born lawyer and writer, has contributed to Ranelagh Arts Festival literary events over the last number of years. We await eagerly his 2009 contribution, which promises to be most fascinating and continues Ranelagh Arts Festival engagement with local history. A lover of all things classical, himself (both Latin and Greek, Ronan is the founder of the European Centre for Latin, based in Ranelagh.

Nicola Gordon-Bowe is one of Irelands most distinguished art historians particularly on the period that is generally known as The Celtic Revival. Those of us who, last year, were fascinated and 'educated' by her marvellous' Bicycle Tour of The Churches' will not want to miss this year's lecture. She is Director of the MA course in the History of Design and the Applied Arts at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin. She has written and lectured widely on late 19th and 20th century decorative arts. Publications include Harry Clarke - his Graphic Art(1983) and The Life and work of Harry Clarke(1989).

"One of the funniest evenings I have ever spent in the theatre" Daily Mail. Ranelagh Arts Festival are delighted to collaborate for the first time with our friends in the Focus Theatre (Ranelagh's nearest professional theatre). Taking its tone and form from 1940s Film Noir, Simon Toal's one-man show weaves pastiche with astute political satire to deliver an energetic, often surreal showcase for his talents. This Pastiche of pulp fiction noir will leave you rocking in the aisles.

Ranelagh born comedian Orla McGovern will be performing 'impromptu sessions' throughout the Festival.

Last year Mrs. Nellie Murphy, a rich widow from the Coombe, where she had her own fresh haddock distribution business, visited Ranelagh for the Festival. She met (in a local pub) and was smitten by a handsome lad from the west called Michael. The path of true love never runs smooth. Her mobile phone containing Michael's number was left in a Ranelagh taxi. She is returning this year to find and 'wring the neck' of the taxi man who charged her £1.18s and 6p for her fare back to The Coombe but mainly to meet that broth of a boy from the west called Michael. Keep an eye out for Nellie during the Festival, she's great fun and loves a gargle.

Once again, Helen Dillon will open her world-famous garden and house as part of the festival. She has spent the last 35 years creating one of the most beautiful town gardens in Ireland. Set around a canal surrounded by Irish limestone, the mixed borders of shrubs and herbaceous perennials reveal unusual plants and exciting colour combinations, including rarities such as lady's slipper orchids or doubled-flowered Trillium. On the sunken terrace, terracotta pots sprout more rare plants. Clumps of angel's fishing rods (Dierama) arch over the sphinxes and a small alpine house and conservatory shelter the choicest species, including what is considered the most beautiful climber in the world - the national flower of Chile, Lapageria rosea (named after Napoleon's wife). The front garden is paved in pink Chinese granite.

For insurance reasons, children must be strictly supervised.

For more information, see www.dillongarden.com

The Dillon Garden is open to the public in March, July and August (every day, 2 - 6pm) and in April, May, June and September (Sundays only, 2 - 6pm).

Ranelagh Arts Festival would like to give a most sincere thanks to two very special people, Helen and her husband Val who have being so kind to us, once again allowing their wonderful Gardens to be part of the Festival.

Scott Kelly of Walkabout Theatre wears various costumes, juggling and stilt walking
Richard Blowers of Wheelbarrow Walkabouts, character actor, comedian

Scott Kelly of Walkabout Theatre
Molly Monika, character based entertainment

Todd Various: From humble beginnings as an American street performer, Various is now an award-winning performer residing in Scotland. Come see him here at the Ranelagh Arts Festival and witness his magical cups-and-balls routine, including a dramatic straight jacket escape, complete with whip-cracking, laughs and hi-jinx. YOU WILL BE AMAZED!

Figo the Incredible: New Zealand based Figo tours the world performing with a bag full of laughs and some say a tutu, comedy and slapstick ensues…

JP Puppets: This Ranelagh-based street puppeteer has travelled the world entertaining young and old alike with the help of his 14 string puppet friend, "Mojo, the Cheekiest Jester of All".

Mr. Balloonatic: Local lad, Mr. Balloonatic, creates a veritable zoo of creatures, real and imagined right before your very eyes.

Walkabout Theatre, Scott Kelly (as above)

Wheelbarrow Walkabouts, Richard Blowers (as above)