It looks like they will be having a whale of a time commemorating the bicentenary of 1798 the year of the French at the French-Irish Music and Food Weekend in Collooney, Co Sligo, beginning next Friday.
The programme kicks off with music by traditional and not so traditional French and Irish bands in venues throughout the village running from 7p.m. until late, with participants in various events dressed in period costume.
On Saturday there will be a concert by the Army band in the Teeling Centre, at 8 p.m. in addition to music by French and Irish bands in the village all evening.
Then, on Sunday, as well as the Street Festival of Music celebrated with an open-air concert, there is the first Collooney Food Fair.
Organised by Margaret Heffernan, it enables you to try the work of local producers, suppliers, restaurants and hotels, who will display their wares and offer tastings. There will be demonstrations by top chefs and local experts in traditional methods of butter and boxty-making. Preceding the food fair, at 6p.m. Colm Brangan will give a tutored wine-tasting featuring a selected list of French wines.
Admission to the tasting costs £10, which includes entry to the food fair. The fair starts at 7p.m., admission costs £5, and includes two talks. At 8 p.m. special guest French food historian and author Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat will trace (in French with translation provided) food trends from 1798 in France. Then, at 8.45 p.m., Mairin Ni Comhain will trace the history of food in Ireland. Did we eat as the French did in the 18th century? Find out in Collooney.
Further information from Geraldine McCafferkey, Teeling Centre, Collooney, Co Sligo, tel 071-67924, or from Brid Torrades, Glebe House, Collooney, Co Sligo at 071- 67787.