The official blog of Féile Derry, where we document the events, productions and activities that we’re involved in.
‘Stephen Gargan – There And Back Again’
Online Premiere
Monday 29th April 2024
7PM
On Monday April 29th at 7pm, on what would have been Stephen Gargan’s 63rd birthday, Féile will stream the film, ‘Stephen Gargan – There and Back Again’ on our youtube channel.
Stephen Gargan passed away on November 27th 2022. A grandfather, father, brother, son, partner, friend and activist, he is missed every day. Born in Dublin, Stephen was involved in community activism in Derry for many years. A founding member and former festival director of Gasyard Wall Féile, he also was a co-founder and director of Gaslight Media Trust. A leading campaigner for the Bloody Sunday families for many years, he co- produced the drama-documentary film ‘SUNDAY’. He also co-developed the ‘Epilogues’ and ‘Just Us’ Education Programme with Jim Keys. Until his untimely passing, he was a key member of the Bloody Sunday March Committee.
The film will be available to watch for free on www.youtube.com/feilemediaderry on Monday 29th April from 7pm.
Féile Streets Alive Programme 2024 – Summary Video
Here’s a short video highlighting all the events we had the pleasure of working on during the month of March, including Trad Music Sessions, IWD events such as the Meenan Square Exhibition and an event celebrating Roisin Barton, Easter celebrations in the Fountain, storytelling in schools, the Anthony Hegarty 1km race, the easter bonnet parade and Celtronic Kids, as well as many more!
Thank you to everyone who helped make these events possible or took part!
A Streets Alive project funded by Urban Villages.
Check out this film documenting a recent project as part of Féile’s Imagine Create programme where acclaimed musician Dafé worked with students from Holy Child Primary School and Nursery Unit and St. John’s Primary School, teaching various songwriting / rapping techniques!
A Communities In Transition project funded by The Executive Office.
Over the last few days, students from Holy Child Primary School and Nursery Unit and St. John’s Primary School have been working with Dafe, writer and rapper from Tebi Rex, to create their own new tracks. We can’t wait to let you hear the results of this collaboration!
A Communities In Transition project supported by The Executive Office.
EASTER BONNET PARADE!
Our parade of Primary 5 pupils from the Urban Village areas were led by In Your Space Circus from the Verbal Arts Centre, through the Derry Walls and down to the Guildhall to show off their fantastic own Easter Bonnets creations, which they all worked very hard on!
Thank you to Long Tower Primary School, St Eugene’s Primary School, Nazareth House Primary School and Nursery Unit and Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir for participating – we hope you had a great time!
In partnership with Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum
Photos by Jim McCafferty.
A Streets Alive project funded by Urban Villages.
Féile would like to say congratulations and well done to all the schools who competed in the Anthony Hegarty 1KM race this morning!
Holy Child Primary School and Nursery Unit
Nazareth House Primary School and Nursery Unit
Every school put in such a great effort, especially getting up that big hill at the end! You should all be really proud of yourselves, and of course, congratulations to St Anne’s for being the school with the fastest time and to Jay Gallagher for completing the race with the fastest time of 3 minutes 17 seconds!
See every individual time for each pupil below:
1 St Anne’s PS, Jay Gallagher – 03:17
2 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Cahir Mc Ginley – 03:21
3 St John’s PS, Aodhan Doherty – 03:21
4 St Anne’s PS, Rian Black – 03:23
5 St John’s PS, Clodagh Murphy – 03:25
6 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Oisin Mc Gowan – 03:28
7 St Anne’s PS, Conor Mc Caul – 03:29
8 St John’s PS, Jack Luby – 03:29
9 St John’s PS, Lorcan Duffy – 03:29
10 St Anne’s PS, Oisin Lafferty – 03:30
11 Nazareth House, Jayden Mc Veigh – 03:32
12 St Anne’s PS, Emmet Mzinba – 03:32
13 Nazareth House, Reuben Layherryoling – 03:33
14 St Anne’s PS, Conor Ward – 03:34
15 Longtower NS, Sean Cuan Harris – 03:35
16 Longtower NS, Charlie Thompson – 03:38
17 St Anne’s PS, Ryan Curran – 03:41
18 St John’s PS, Maddison Ryan – 03:41
19 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Caleb Mc Bay – 03:42
20 St Anne’s PS, Cillian Mc Cabe – 03:42
21 Longtower NS, Cian Mc Loone – 03:43
22 St John’s PS, Kian Toner – 03:43
23 Nazareth House, Timothy Doherty – 03:45
24 Nazareth House, Lilly Mae Mead – 03:46
25 St John’s PS, Caiden Deery – 03:46
26 St Eugene’s PS, Cillian Murphy – 03:49
27 St John’s PS, Faye Kelly – 03:49
28 St Anne’s PS, Georgia Mc Intryre – 03:50
29 Nazareth House, Tiarnan Houston – 03:51
30 St Eugene’s PS, Oran Lynch – 03:54
31 Nazareth House, Aodhan O’ Donnell – 03:54
32 St John’s PS, Leah Mc Feely – 03:56
33 St John’s PS, Myles Jeerasoo – 03:56
34 Longtower NS, Jayden Kelly – 03:57
35 Nazareth House, Grace Mahon – 03:57
36 Holy Child PS, Caiden Wright – 03:57
37 Nazareth House, Adam Adhmed Brown – 04:01
38 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Grainne Lockhart – 04:01
39 St Anne’s PS, Aoife Mc Namara – 04:01
40 Holy Child PS, Shane Cresy – 04:01
41 Longtower NS, Reece Ferguson – 04:03
42 Nazareth House, Clara Harkin Devine – 04:03
43 St Eugene’s PS, Sean O’ Loughlin – 04:04
44 Holy Child PS, Hannah O’ Corlann – 04:04
45 Nazareth House, Eve Courtney – 04:06
46 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Oisin Gillespie – 04:06
47 Longtower NS, Maisie Kate Nixton – 04:13
48 St Eugene’s PS, Mia Mc Guinness – 04:14
49 St Eugene’s PS, Aoife Bryce – 04:16
50 Longtower NS, Nicole Macari – 04:16
51 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Isla Ramsey – 04:16
52 Nazareth House, Jack Condren – 04:17
53 Holy Child PS, Kian Canning – 04:21
54 Nazareth House, Odhran Mc Erlean – 04:24
55 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Duatla Mc Guinness – 04:24
56 St Eugene’s PS, Shra Mc Elhinney – 04:26
57 Gaelscoil Eadain Choir, Seamus Gielty – 04:26
58 Holy Child PS, Katie Lee Taupe – 04:26
59 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Annie Doherty – 04:30
60 St Eugene’s PS, Daniel Odumukwu – 04:32
61 Longtower NS, Ava Mc Keever – 04:35
62 St Eugene’s PS, Ellie Mailey – 04:41
63 St Eugene’s PS, Rex Ogoko – 04:48
64 Longtower NS, Roise Mc Gowan – 04:50
65 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Fiachra Mc Monagle – 04:52
66 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Shea Ryan – 04:53
67 Holy Child PS, Odin Dentith – 04:56
68 Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir, Ellidh Mc Gurk – 04:58
69 Holy Child PS, Finn Friel – 04:58
70 St Eugene’s PS, Mary Sulaiman – 05:09
71 Holy Child PS, Ava Mc Grory – 06:11
72 Holy Child PS, Faith Collins – 06:33
73 Holy Child PS, Lily Mc Donnell – 06:33
Thank you so much to everyone who participated and to our partners Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum for helping to make this happen. Big thank you as well to the Hegarty family and to Malcolm McCausland for telling us more about Anthony’s life and achievements.
Anthony Hegarty’s Story
Anton Hegarty was born on 14th December 1892 at 36 Nailors Row just below Derry’s walls, above the Bogside. A real running machine he was famous for racing a pony in the Brandywell over a mile. Some say he won the race, others disagreed.
Shortly after leaving school Anton joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. While stationed in India his talent at running came to the fore, but the start of the first World war put an abrupt end to athletics. In August 1915, Anton was badly wounded at Sulva bay in the battle for Gallipoli and was declared medically unfit for future service, and discharged from the Army.
Undaunted Anton was soon back in his spikes, and was instrumental in founding the famous City of Derry Harriers. In that year he won both Ulster Junior and Senior cross country titles with ease. In International cross-country tests he was the automatic choice for Ireland and always led the team home.
He was without doubt the greatest runner produced in Derry- his long stride and perfect carriage being the subject of universal admiration. He capped his career by appearing at the Olympic Games at Antwerp in 1920 where he was first man home for the British team, securing a silver medal, the first Derry man to do so.
Little is known of Anton’s career after 1920. He moved to Rugby in England. Anton was cycling to work in Rugby when he was knocked down and killed by an RAF lorry in August 1944.
Féile’s film about Anthony Hegarty, “Lion for A Day”, can be viewed at the link below:
Féile was delighted to partner with In Your Space Circus this week to deliver storytelling in schools as part of World Storytelling Day which took place on Wednesday 20th March.
5 schools from the Urban Village area were lucky enough to receive a visit from Granny D and her little friend Steve (and her bubbles!)
Thank you to Long Tower Primary SchoolNazareth House Primary School and Nursery UnitSt Eugene’s Primary SchoolFountain Primary School and Nursery Unit and Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir for taking part!
A Streets Alive project funded by Urban Villages.
As part of our Equinox project, acclaimed photographer Megan Doherty worked with local schools, sports clubs, youth clubs and community groups to create a new exhibition, Genesis, which celebrates many of the great young people of Creggan.
Thanks to Sean Dolans Gac, Stmarys Youthclub, St Mary’s Scouts, Holy Child Primary School and Nursery Unit, St. John’s Primary School, St Joseph’s Boys’ School, St Cecilia’s College, Derry, Oakleaf Boxing Club, Rath Mor Warriors – K1/Kickboxing & Fitness Gym..
The exhibition is currently on display at Bishop’s Field in Creggan. A Communities In Transition project funded by The Executive Office.
Thanks to everyone who took part in our first ever Equinox celebrations in Creggan today. Whether it was sharing a story, dancing, singing, playing, taking part in The Big Dander or the spring clean of the community or just celebrating the return of the light, we thank you all.
Thanks to all our partners whose support made this event possible including SureStart Edenballymore, Stmarys Youthclub. St Mary’s Scouts, Creggan Countrypark, Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership, DEEDS – Dementia Engaged and Empowered in Derry & Strabane, OLT HLC, Sean Dolans Gac, Trojans YCG, Holy Child Primary School and Nursery Unit, St Joseph’s Boys’ School, St Cecilia’s College, Derry, St. John’s Primary School, Community Restorative Justice, Triax – Neighbourhood Management Team, Rath Mor Warriors – K1/Kickboxing & Fitness Gym., North-West Carnival Initiative, Volunteer Investment Project, Creggan Library, Allegri and Hive Cancer Support.
Photos by Jim McCafferty.
A Communities In Transition project supported by The Executive Office.
