Spink Development chairman Michael McEvoy; Spink ICA president Helen Gee; The Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins; Spink Development secretary Anne Cass and TR Dallas cut the cake at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas.
Photo: Alf Harvey.
The first ever Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival took place across the weekend and proved to be a big success.
The brainchild of Trudi Lalor, events took place across the county from Friday September 5 to Sunday September 7.
The festival celebrated local arts, music, culture, and food with Trudi saying she was inspired to create it by her ‘deep passion for community, connection, and belonging’.
Her vision was ‘to create a weekend for people to return, reconnect, and reunite—especially those with Laois roots living elsewhere’.
The highlight of the festival was on Saturday where we had a sold out Gala Dinner in the Midlands Park Hotel.
Professor Noel Fitzpatrick (The Supervet) was honoured on the night for his contributions to animal welfare, literature, and television.
He was presented with a special award, alongside four unsung Laois heroes:
PATH Portlaoise Action to Homelessness
Jack McDonald – Founder of The Laois People Worldwide with over 23,000 members
Christy Cullen – Songwriter of Lovely Laois
Ger Thompson – Chairman of The Laois Association in Dublin
Music on the night came from The Musketeers, Mick Foster, Billy Morrissey and TR Dallas and this was followed by a dance with Trudi Lalor, Shawn Cuddy, and Damien Bowe.
Among the various other events across the weekend were a series of six ‘tea dances’.
Peter Burke performed at the one in the Castle Arms in Durrow while Colin Kenny and Dee Morrissey were live from the Mountmellick ICA Hall.
Glen Flynn and Ross Molloy led the show in Stradbally while Adrian Ryan was in charge in Killeen.
There was a big line up in Mountrath as Michael Cahill performed with special guests Shawn Cuddy and Dave Lawlor – with the event MC’d by Kevin Lalor-Fitzpatrick.
County legend TR Dallas was in Knock Hall in Spink where he was joined by none other than recently crowned Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins.
Alf Harvey was in Spink where he captured some great images.
Check them out below:
Spink ICA president Helen Gee welcomes Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins to the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.TR Dallas, Spink ICA president Helen Gee and John Talbot at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Mary T Kelly, Carmel Kelly and Patty Dwyer at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.TR Dallas at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Spink Development chairman Michael McEvoy; Spink ICA president Helen Gee; The Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins; Spink Development secretary Anne Cass and TR Dallas cut the cake at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Mary Byrne and PJ Lynam at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Mary Byrne, Helen Gee and PJ Lynam at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Michael and Margaret McEvoy at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Kathleen Scully and Frances Delaney at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Patricia Woods, Joe Cass, Nora Cahill, Peggy Costigan and Margaret McDonald at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Kathleen Goucher and Patty Dwyer at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Margaret Phelan and Packie McDonald at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Evelyn and Eamonn Mulhall at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Packie McDonald, Mary McEvoy, Fiadh McEvoy and Mary Phelan at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Bernie and PJ Cahill; Paddy Moran and Catherine Savage at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Michael and Margaret Dunne; Bernadette Taylor and John Stanley at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins with Tess O’Shaughnessy and Síle Carter at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Ned Kelly driving Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins in his Rolls Royce at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Taking to the floor at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Nora Cahill, Peggy Costigan and Margaret McDonald at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Tom O’Connor at the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.Helen Gee welcomes Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins to the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Afternoon Tea Dance in Knock Hall, Spink with music by TR Dallas. Photo: Alf Harvey.
