Tag Archives: Festival of Finn

The 22nd annual World Stone Throwing Championship will take place in Bofey Quinn’s in Corofin this coming Sunday, with contestants set to battle it out for the most prestigious prize in stone throwing. After a strong local showing in last year’s competition with Corofin natives Saundra O’Brien and Dylan O’Loughlin claiming the main prizes, a major national and international challenge is expected for this year’s event. The competition, which is part of the annual Festival of Finn, was originally thought up over a pint by Cormac McConnell and Johnny Campbell in 2000. Participants are challenged to break glass bottles placed on spikes using nothing but stones. There is both a male and a female trophy and the competition in both categories is fierce. The competition attracts stone throwers from all over the world with previous winners coming from as far away as London, Chicago, Scotland and Germany. There is an entry fee of just €5 per contestant, which entitles you …

THE extraordinary story of the O’Higgins brothers will be told this Friday night at the Festival of Finn in Corofin. Cumann Staire is Dúchais Chora Finne will present the story of the four brothers of North Clare, all of whom participated as soldiers in the First World War. The story will be presented by Dermot Hayes, who conducted the research interviews connected with this historical narrative for a Radio Corca Baiscinn documentary, which subsequently won a national gold community achievement award for the station. Dermot worked closely on the project with retired army captain Fionnán Ó hUigínn and his sister Máiréad both of whom will join Dermot in Corofin on Friday night. The story tells how Liscannor natives Richard and Thomas O’Higgins emigrated to Argentina to set up a new life there . However both were subsequently to return to Ireland in order to enlist in the army when World War 1 broke out in Europe in 1914. Both joined …

A NORTH Clare village has come up with a novel competition to attract tourists to the area. This year, Corofin will host what organisers say is the first Irish Beard and Moustache Championships. The village is already home to the annual World Stone Throwing Championships. The two competitions will be held as part of the Festival of Finn on the May Bank Holiday Weekend. “The Festival of Finn has been resurrected this year as Corofin’s contribution to The Gathering 2013 but with a new Corofin Tourism Association in place, it is planned to continue it as an annual event. We have incorporated the annual World Stone Throwing Championships into the festival and were also looking for another event that would have an attraction for visitors to the area to include on the programme. Hence the beard competition,” explained Gerard Kennedy, one of the event organisers. This year’s competitors will have to settle for a national title but if the event …