An Tóstal
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An Tóstal
An Tóstal (, meaning "The Gathering") was the name for a series of festivals held in Ireland in the 20th century. Inaugurated in 1953 as a celebration of Irish life, it continued on until 1958 when it died out in most centres except Drumshanbo. After seeing the 1951 Festival of Britain the President of Pan Am Airlines thought of the idea of an Irish version. The original purpose of the festival was a celebration of Irish culture, with an emphasis upon drawing tourists into the country during the Easter off-season. It was marked by a series of regional parades, arts and sporting events. Many towns began a clean-up plan, thus starting off the National Tidy Town Awards, which is running still in Ireland. In 1953, a set of commemorative stamps designed by Limerick artist Fergus O'Ryan, were issued by the Irish Post Office. Sean O'Casey One of the last plays of Sean O'Casey, The Drums of Father Ned (1957) is set during the preparations for a Tostal in the fictional town of Doonava ...
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Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelanda sovereign state covering five-sixths of the island) and Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdomcovering the remaining sixth). It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the List of islands of the British Isles, second-largest island of the British Isles, the List of European islands by area, third-largest in Europe, and the List of islands by area, twentieth-largest in the world. As of 2022, the Irish population analysis, population of the entire island is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the List of European islands by population, ...
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Luděk Pachman
Luděk Pachman (German: Ludek Pachmann, May 11, 1924 – March 6, 2003) was a Czechoslovak-German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and political activist. In 1972, after being imprisoned and tortured almost to death by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, he was allowed to emigrate to West Germany. He lived the remainder of his life there, and resumed his chess career with considerable success, including playing in the Interzonal in 1976 and winning the West German Championship in 1978. Career Pachman's first chess championship came in 1940, when he became champion of the nearby village of Cista (population 900). The first break in his chess career came in 1943, when he was invited to an international tournament in Prague. World Champion Alexander Alekhine dominated the event, with Paul Keres taking second place. Pachman finished ninth in the nineteen-player tournament. Alekhine paid him a compliment in an article in the ''Frankfurter Zeitung'' and from the fifth round on ...
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Festivals In Ireland
The culture of Ireland includes the art, music, dance, folklore, traditional clothing, language, literature, cuisine and sport associated with Ireland and the Irish people. For most of its recorded history, the country’s culture has been primarily Gaelic (see Gaelic Ireland). Strong family values, wit and an appreciation for tradition are commonly associated with Irish culture. Irish culture has been greatly influenced by Christianity, most notably by the Roman Catholic Church, and religion plays a significant role in the lives of many Irish people. Today, there are often notable cultural differences between those of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox background. References to God can be found in spoken Irish, notably exemplified by the Irish equivalent of “Hello” — “Dia dhuit” ( "God be with you"). Irish culture has Celtic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, French and Spanish influences. It also has British influences, primarily due to over eight centuries of Br ...
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The Gathering Ireland 2013
The Gathering Ireland 2013, referred to as The Gathering was a tourism-led initiative in Ireland. It aimed to mobilise the Irish diaspora to return to Ireland during 2013 to be part of specially organised local gatherings and events during the year. It was a government supported initiative driven primarily by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, and Tourism Ireland. The concept relied on grassroots initiatives of private individuals, and non-governmental organisations. The Gathering was not a single event but provided an umbrella framework for varying activities throughout 2013, from family reunions and clan gatherings to sports fixtures. While the initiative was primarily directed at the Irish diaspora, and those with other links to the country, the organisers hoped the experience for the general tourist would also be enhanced. It began on 1 January 2013 and ended on 31 December 2013. Background The concept for The Gathering Ireland 2013 first emerged at ...
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Cork International Film Festival
Cork International Film Festival (CIFF), also known the Cork Film Festival (), is a film festival held annually in Cork City, Ireland. It was established in 1956 as part of An Tóstal, and is Ireland's oldest and largest film festival. It is typically held in November. For the period 2007 to 2012, the festival was known (for sponsorship reasons) as the Corona Cork Film Festival. The festival programme is a mix of big budget pictures, world cinema, independent films, documentaries and short films. While international films are also shown at the event, the festival organisers describe it as a "showcase for Irish film production". A collection of ephemera, relating to the Irish Film Society (IFS) and the Cork International Film Festival, is held in the library of University College Cork. This collection, known as the Dr. Joan Byrne Collection, was donated to the library in 2019. Three of CIFF's 14 filmmaker awards are qualifying for the Academy Awards The Academy Awards, co ...
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Cork International Choral Festival
The Cork International Choral Festival is held annually in Cork, Ireland and features choirs from all over the world. About 5,000 choristers take part every year; they come from all over Ireland, from Britain, from the European continent, and sometimes from as far away as Africa, America, and Asia. Since its foundation in 1954, there have been about 3,500 choir entries. The most recent festival took place in May 2025. History The festival was founded in 1954. It was part of An Tóstal, a national festival begun by Seán Lemass in 1952, as an attempt to set lift the country from a period of economic depression and high emigration. This initiative was supported by senior Army officers and Bórd Fáilte, the Irish Tourist Board; which played a leading role in its implementation. The first Tóstal began in Cork in 1953 with a pageant in which a large section of the business community took part; there were sporting events, Gaelic League activities, and an arts programme which inclu ...
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Rose Of Tralee (festival)
The Rose of Tralee International Festival is an annual beauty pageant held in Tralee in County Kerry, featuring contestants from Ireland or from the Irish diaspora. The festival, takes its inspiration from a 19th-century ballad of the same name about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called "The Rose of Tralee". The words of the song are credited to C. Mordaunt Spencer and the music to Charles William Glover, but a story circulated in connection with the festival claims that the song was written by William Pembroke Mulchinock, a wealthy Protestant, out of love for Mary O'Connor, a poor Catholic maid in service to his parents. History The festival has its origins in the local Carnival Queen, once an annual town event, fallen by the wayside due to post-war emigration. In 1957, the Race Week Carnival was resurrected in Tralee, and it featured a Carnival Queen. The idea for the festival came when a group of local business people met in Harty's bar, Tralee to come ...
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Colm Gallagher
Colm Gallagher (died 26 June 1957) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was elected twice as Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin North-Central, in 1951 and in 1957. His first candidacy was at the 1948 general election, where he was unsuccessful, winning just 3.3% of the first-preference votes and losing his deposit. At the 1951 general election, he tripled his share of the vote and won a second seat for Fianna Fáil in the three-seat constituency. He lost his seat at the 1954 general election to the Labour Party's Maureen O'Carroll, but defeated her at the 1957 general election. His death in June 1957, just three months after the general election, triggered a by-election on 14 November, which was won by an independent candidate, Frank Sherwin. Prior to his involvement in politics, Colm Gallagher was active in the promotion and administration of amateur boxing and served as a referee at European level, including the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olym ...
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River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water and supports a range of recreational activities. Name While Ptolemy's ''Geography (Ptolemy), Geography'' (2nd century AD) describes a river which he labels Οβοκα (''Oboka''), this is not the Liffey: ultimately it leads to the name of the River Avoca in County Wicklow. According to "Place Names from our Older Literature - IV." by Boswell, C. S. (1904 Connradh na Gaedhilge) the river takes its name from Magh Life, i.e. the plain of Kildare through which the Life flows. This in turn takes its name from Life, daughter of Canann Curthach, who eloped with and married Deltbanna mac Druchta, cup-bearer to Conaire Mór High King of Ireland. Life ...
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Anthony Babington Wilson
Anthony Charles Babington Wilson (born 2 May 1931) is a former business executive, artist and author. His artwork was prominent in Dublin and Parisien society within the late 50s. He is the son of T.G. Wilson, an eminent Anglo-Irish surgeon and social figure, and his wife Mary Babington, the daughter of Sir Anthony Babington. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Dublin. Wilson was the Financial Controller (a senior accounting position) of British Oxygen Company until his retirement on 2 May 1987. His articles on corporate planning, drawn from an unpublished book, often featured in business journals such as ''Management Decision'' and ''Accountancy Age''. He has also delivered various lectures on corporate planning. As an artist, Wilson's first exhibitions were held in Grafton Street during the 50s. These exhibitions were opened by Sir Alexander Clutterbuck and Sir Ian Maclennan, both British Ambassadors to Ireland, respectively. Later exhibitions took place in ...
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O'Connell Bridge
O'Connell Bridge () is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland, which joins O'Connell Street to D'Olier Street, Westmoreland Street and the south quays. History Carlisle Bridge The original bridge (named ''Carlisle Bridge'' after the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland – Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle) was designed by James Gandon, and built between 1791 and 1794. Originally humped, and narrower, ''Carlisle bridge'' was a symmetrical, three semicircular arch structure constructed in granite with a Portland stone balustrade and obelisks on each of the four corners. A keystone head at the apex of the central span symbolises the River Liffey, corresponding to the heads on the Custom House (also designed by James Gandon) which personify the other great rivers of Ireland. O'Connell Bridge reconstruction Since 1860, following similar work on ''Essex Bridge'' (now Grattan Bridge) to improve the streetscape and relieve traffic congestion on the bridge ...
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Albéric O'Kelly De Galway
Albéric Joseph Rodolphe Marie Robert Ghislain O'Kelly de Galway (17 May 1911 – 3 October 1980) was a Belgium, Belgian chess Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster (1956), an International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (1962), and the third ICCF World Champion in correspondence chess (1959–1962). He was also a chess writer. Chess career O'Kelly won the Belgian Chess Championship, Belgian championships thirteen times between 1937 and 1959. He placed first at Corus chess tournament, Beverwijk 1946. In 1947, he became one of Europe's leading players, having finished first at the 1947 European Interzonal, Zonal tournament at Hilversum, tied for first place with Vasja Pirc, Pirc at Teplice Sanov, and tied for second at Venice. The next year, O'Kelly finished first at São Paulo ahead of Erich Eliskases, Eliskases and Héctor Rossetto, Rossetto. He earned the title International Master (IM) in 1950, the first year the title was awarded. He placed first at Dortmund 1951. O'Kelly ...
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