Thirty years ago our College entered into an agreement with a small local organisation to host some plays, discussions and an art exhibition at the start of the month of August. That organisation was Féile an Phobail.

We could never have imagined at that time how the agreement would develop into a partnership to host seventy events this month during Ireland’s largest summer festival.

St Mary’s recognises the transformative power of Féile an Phobail to improve the lives of local people, promote dialogue between those holding different perspectives on political issues and contribute to the local economy. As a university level institution, St Mary’s seeks to be a centre of encounter at both the local and international levels and the annual Féile plays a significant role in that regard.

The hosting of seventy events requires the allocation of significant College resources, especially the highly valued work of our support staff. We are most grateful for all the work of our staff which contributes to a successful Féile programme at St Mary’s. Special thanks to Eilís McAteer who coordinates our partnership with Féile an Phobail and Gareth Connolly who provides an audio-visual service for the events.

All are welcome to come along to the College and enjoy the events.