24 July 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Entertainment News
This year’s Slí Eile Summer Festival will take place on Sunday July 30th and there promises to be something for everyone. Slí Eile is now well known for the work it does to promote mental health recovery and its’ Summer Festival provides an annual dose of fun to help everybody feel great!
The Summer Festival will be held in the beautiful grounds of Burton Park in Churchtown, Co Cork, where Slí Eile has its 50-acre certified organic beef farm, market garden and dairy.
Attractions on the day will include the New Orleans-style Speakeasy Jazz Band and the Charleville Brass and Reed Band, as well as other musical acts. There will also be a range of craft and food stalls and the sale of quality products from Slí Eile’s farm and traditional bakery. Delicious barbecue food will be available, using Slí Eile’s own organic meat and salads, and teas/coffees, cakes, confectionary and ice-creams will be served in the Courtyard Café.
For children, there will be a bouncy castle, a slide, two obstacle courses and face-painting – all free of charge. Games and archery will be organised for people of all ages. This year there will again be a display of army vehicles, a thatching demonstration and a dog show. Tours of historic Burton Park House will be available and a raffle will be held, with prizes including a 2-night stay at the Breaffy House Hotel in Castlebar.
Alongside the Summer Festival will be the annual Slí Eile Mud Run, which will take intrepid runners over an exciting 5km course through the Burton Park estate. A 1km children’s run will also take place.
The Festival will commence at 1.00pm and finish at 5.00pm. Admission will be €5 per adult, with accompanied children being given free admission. At 2.00pm, a welcoming speech will be delivered by Slí Eile’s CEO, Dr Paul Doherty, who will explain the day-to-day life of a working residential community and the various ways in which Slí Eile supports individuals to find their way forward.
Paul says “This is a great family day. People really enjoy it and it plays an important role in helping us to fund our work. With one in four people likely to experience significant mental health challenges, it’s vital that we’re able to sustain this pioneering initiative, which has proved so successful in helping people to recover and to rebuild their lives”.
