Details of Crawley’s 12^th annual Celtic Weekend have just been finalised. The Weekend is the largest event in Crawley to take place on Southgate Playing Fields and organisers believe that the line-up on offer promises to be their best yet.

The Weekend begins with the 2^nd Celtic Rock in the Park, on Saturday 25^th August at 6pm. The hugely talented local hard rock/metal band Angst kick off the evening which features an impressive line-up of rock talent including Bad Boy Boogie, a fine local AC/DC Tribute band and TheBibleCodeSunday’s, who’s unique blend of traditional Irish and modern rock music won them the 2006 Irish World Newspaper Award for “Best Band on London Circuit”.

Headliners The Cureheads bring the evening to a close. This premier band is well known in Crawley for their tribute to the music, fashion & performing style of The Cure. Formed in 1990, they will perform music that spans from the beginning of The Cure’s career, right through to the latest releases, some of which are only available online.

The Weekend continues with the Crawley Irish Festival, on Sunday 26^th August from 12-6pm. The Festival, now in its twelfth year, never disappoints with its vibrant and colourful mix showcasing some great Irish entertainment, music, sport and dance. The main music stage will feature a whole afternoon of some of the finest Irish music from bands such as Mustang, The 12 Sullivan’s, The Emerald Dogs, Guns and Horses and the ever popular Mick Flavin. Some of the best traditional Irish music will be played live on a second stage.

This year we are planning to run a more high profile event for 2007, in celebration of the New Town’s sixtieth anniversary, and there will be lots for young people and families to do with a special children’s entertainment marquee featuring games, songs and stories, with particular emphasis on Irish traditions and folklore. There will also be live GAA Sports, live televised sports, Irish Dancing Displays, two beer tents and many stalls offering Irish goods.

Tickets for the Celtic Rock in the Park will cost £8 and will be available online, at local outlets, at the gate on the day and at The Hawth Box Office – Tel: 01293 553636 or book online at www.hawth.co.uk.

Tickets for the Crawley Irish Festival will cost £5 for Adults, £2 for concessions (students and over 60’s) and children under 18 are free and will be available at the gate on the day.

For further details on the bands for the Celtic Rock Night see:

• Angst - www.angst.uk.com/home.htm
• Bad Boy Boogie - www.celtic-irish.co.uk
• TheBibleCodeSunday’s - www.biblecodesundays.co.uk/bcshtml/index.htm
• The Cureheads – http://www.garyash.addr.com/

The Crawley Folk Festival takes this weekend, 29th June - 1st July and the Mullins Irish Dance School will be performing on Saturday 30th at the free Dance Stage.

The dancers recently took part in “The British Red Cross Dance for Life”, in Surrey, where both Junior and Senior groups won their heat. The juniors went on the win the final at the Electric Theatre, Guildford. Congratulations to all those that took part.

Catherine Mullins, the teacher who runs the school, will also be hosting a workshop on the 30th June at the Crawley Folk Festival (1pm-2pm). A week later, the dancers will also be performing at Crawley Festival finale at the Memorial Gardens on 7th July.

The weekend saw the conclusion of months of planning as Sussex Junior Chess team took on Ireland at The Clarion Hotel, Crawley (Saturday 16 – Sunday 17th June). All of the players were aged between seven and sixteen years of age.

The two teams played for the Sir Patrick Moore Cup, a biennial event held alternately in Ireland and England. Sir Patrick Moore, who presents BBC2’s The Sky at Night programme from his home in Sussex, and played for the county in the 1950’s, provided the trophy.

The Rt Hon Timothy Loughton MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, Shadow Minister for Children, welcomed the Irish visitors and opened the tournament by playing the first move.

The two teams took a break from Chess on the Saturday evening, with 100 people taking part in a Sussex v Ireland Bowling contest at The Hollywood Bowl in Crawley, which was extremely popular with both the players and the supporting adults. It gave both sides an opportunity to socialise with their new friends.

The final results for this year’s two day tournament were Sussex, 142.5 to Ireland, 46.5 (189 games were played in all). This year’s victory caps a phenomenal year for Sussex Junior Chess and highlights the exceptional talent in Sussex. Sussex are the strongest Chess County in the UK.

David Howell (the youngest ever Grand Master) made a guest appearance on the Sunday, much to the delight of the children. David, just 16, lives in Sussex and attends Eastbourne College. He started playing chess at 6 at a Sussex Junior Chess event. He became a Grand Master when he was 10 months younger than his hero Gary Kasparov.

David played a two-hour simultaneous match against members of both the Sussex and Ireland teams, playing 12 at anyone time. David commented: “I was impressed by the enthusiasm and high standard of the players”. David went on to present the trophy and prizes.

Peter Doyle of the Irish Team thanked the Sussex organisers for their efforts in putting on such a well-organised and enjoyable event.

For further information please contact:

Isabel Keen – 0788 4433 200 / 01273 891402
isabel@yokehurst.com

Setanta Sports, the Irish-owned Pay TV broadcaster, has sensationally secured the exclusive broadcast rights for Ricky ‘Hitman’ Hatton’s IBO World Welterweight Title fight on Saturday 23rd June.

This crucial fight against Mexico’s Jose Luis ‘El Temible’ Castillo LIVE from Las Vegas is further proof that Setanta Sports is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to showcasing the best international sporting events.

To support this new acquisition, Setanta Sports have announced an exclusive offer of two months free subscription with no ongoing subscription. All you have to do is sign up to the fight before 23 June 2007 to receive two months free subscription.

The Irish community will probably be aware that Setanta also holds the UK television rights to the GAA All-Ireland Hurling and Football championships, the Scottish Premier League and, from August, English Premier League matches.

This offer gives an ideal opportunity for the Irish community to watch the All-Ireland championship throughout the summer and taste the exciting Setanta Sports lineup including:

• Setanta Sports 1
• Setanta Sports 2
• Setanta Ireland
• Setanta Golf
• NASN (North American Sports)
• Racing UK
• Racing World
• Celtic TV
• Rangers TV

Subscribers to this offer will also see up to six live Barclaycard Premiership matches for free during the two months free subscription period.

Now is a great opportunity to sign-up to Setanta for the summer with no ongoing commitment for just £15. To find out more, visit the Setanta Sports website.