SeaFest and Cork Harbour Festival are coming together for Ireland’s biggest maritime celebration, which will take place in Cork this June. Cork City Council and the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordination Group (MCG) present SeaFest, a national free and family friendly maritime festival, at the Port of Cork on 7 - 9 June. This will be the culmination of a weeklong celebration of Ireland’s rich maritime heritage, as the annual Cork Harbour Festival runs from 1 – 9 June, with over 70 events for all to enjoy. The programmes of both festivals will be announced in the coming weeks. For more see seafest.ie and corkharbourfestival.com.
Having been held in Galway for the past three years, Cork City Council and MCG — made up of government departments with responsibility for marine matters — will now present SeaFest from 2019 – 2021. More than 100,000 are expected to attend the national annual festival on Cork city’s quays, celebrating what the ocean has to offer.
Speaking on today’s announcement, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Mick Finn said: “We are delighted that Cork city will enjoy two festivals this June, with nine action-packed days of activities focused on the water. While Cork Harbour Festival will celebrate Cork’s rich maritime heritage, SeaFest will acknowledge the value of Ireland’s oceans and encourage national engagement with our seas. These two festivals will be a spectacular showcase for both locals and visitors alike, with an amazing variety of family-focused events, exhibits, talks, demonstrations, and workshops soon to be announced.”
Cork Harbour Festival Manager Joya Kuin added: “June will be a fantastic celebration of all things maritime, with Cork Harbour Festival returning with another jam-packed programme and SeaFest docking at the city’s quayside for the next three years. The collaboration of the two festivals will highlight to a local, national and international audience our rich maritime culture and how easily it can be accessed for all to enjoy.”
SeaFest is part funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under Ireland’s European Maritime & Fisheries Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Maria Tracey, Springboard PR & Marketing,
maria@springboardpr.ie | 021 4969000 | 083 1917314
Holly Ní Ghráda, Springboard PR & Marketing,
holly@springboardpr.ie | 021 4969000 | 087 4198653
SeaFest, Ireland’s largest and most spectacular maritime festival, will dock in Cork for the next three years, from 2019 – 2021. It will be presented by Cork City Council and the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordination Group (MCG).
Ireland’s national maritime festival has been held in Galway for the past three years and has quickly become one of the most popular events in the country. SeaFest has grown in attendance each year, with the festival attracting more than 100,000 visitors in 2017 and again in 2018.
SeaFest is a key initiative of Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth Ireland’s Integrated Marine Plan, which aims not just to develop the marine economy but also to increasing participation and engagement by the citizens of Ireland with the sea. The national festival celebrates Ireland’s proud maritime heritage and the many ways our seas and oceans impact on and enrich our lives.
Seafest is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under Ireland’s European Maritime & Fisheries Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector.
Established in 2015, Cork Harbour Festival is the largest annual event in the harbour, offering a week-long celebration of Ireland’s maritime culture and all of what Cork Harbour has to offer. The festival begins on the June Bank Holiday Weekend with its flagship Ocean to City – An Rás Mór, and features over 60 events taking place in Cork City as well as in 15 harbour towns and villages. Providing a platform for over 50 different Event Partners in the community, tourist and maritime sectors, the festival highlights Cork's greatest natural amenity, Cork Harbour and the River Lee, and promotes the region as a tourist destination. Cork Harbour Festival is coordinated by Meitheal Mara, the community boatyard, training centre and charity located in Cork City, and the Festival Committee. This committee includes representatives from Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Port of Cork, UCC MaREI, RCYC, Cobh & Harbour Chamber and Meitheal Mara.
In Ireland, responsibility for marine matters is spread across a number of Government Departments and agencies. In recognition of the need for better coordination and the broad scope of the sector, the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordination Group (MCG) was established in 2009. The Group meets monthly, bringing together representatives of departments with an involvement in maritime/ marine issues to discuss/coordinate issues that require inter-departmental action. The Group is convened by the Department of the Taoiseach. Members of the Group are at Assistant Secretary level with the following Departments represented:
