Ballyorgan’s Gathering event is all about taking a trip down memory lane. Old photographs, tales of bygone days, the smell of a roasting pig on a spit wafting through the village and dancing, are all planned for visitors to enjoy this special weekend. It’s a joint initiative between Kilflynn Church Preservation Society, Coolfree Community Association and Ballyorgan Tidy Towns.

The Gathering will be declared officially open on Friday, July 26th at 8pm in the school with a wine and cheese reception and other refreshments served. That’ll be followed by music at the Village Inn by Blackthorn, with free entry – strictly over 18s.

SATURDAY

A guided walk will begin the programme of events on Saturday. It’ll start at the school at 11am. That’ll be followed by a family fun day with a bouncy castle, pony rides, face painting, welly throwing, donkey shoe throwing, music, fun races and refreshments. An entry fee of €5 will apply for adults, with children free of charge.

A dog show, being held at 2pm, will see categories for big dog, small dog, boy and girl’s handling, ‘the dog the judge would like to take home’ and the best show dog. Entry is €3 per dog.

A farmer’s market will have stalls from Trudy’s Home Baking, Bee Sensations, The Cup Cake Fairy, Dolls House Grand Designs, The Good Little Cook, Roisin’s Aloe Vera, Jen’s Magic Wraps, Ballyhoura Apple Farm, Paws ‘n Pamper professional dog groomer, Maureen’s Knitwear, Coolfree Pre-school and an ice-cream van. The Pizza Man will be on hand to help children make their own pizzas – anyone feeling hungry can also buy a slice of pizza from him.

The festival’s main event is the Homecoming Dance in the Village Inn on Saturday night at 9.30pm, with music by Black Rose. Entry is free but once again is restricted to over 18s.

SUNDAY

The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with a special homecoming Mass at 10am followed by a historical walk of the Abbey Graveyard and Kilflynn Church and, from 5.30pm, the long-awaited pig-on-a-spit will be served up in The Village Inn, followed by a night of music and fun.

The organisers are grateful to their main sponsors, Fox’s Designer Suites, O’Brien Bros Transport and The Village Inn.