The Longford Lights Festival, which runs all weekend, is taking place on the site of the former army barracks in Longford. The project involved 200 people from across the area, including local schools and community groups such as Drumlish and Killoe men’s sheds, Longford Women’s Link, the Ethnic Minority Hub, and St Christopher’s Services. The festival is organised by Longford County Council and funded by the Arts Council.
The Longford Lights Festival showcases high-quality art that is accessible to all. It includes the work of Macnas in Galway and the Liverpool Lantern Company, as well as local artists, schools, and community groups. The festival aims to make art more accessible to everyone and to re-imagine spaces such as the former army barracks in Longford.
The artists who worked on the project drew on the expertise of Macnas in Galway and the Liverpool Lantern Company. Artistic director Tom Meskell said: “This is a very ambitious project, held at this scale in a beautiful setting. We had a premises that was right in the middle of Longford so people could see this project develop and we also did a series of workshops with lots of community groups, so we feel we made a real impact.”
Reimagining Spaces with High-Quality Art
Connolly Barracks was one of four military bases to close in 2009. The pre-treaty cavalry barracks was later purchased by Longford County Council but remains empty. Producer Shane Crossan said: “People drive by places like the former army barracks in Longford and they see a derelict space and then you put on a festival like this and people can reimagine it as something different. It’s really high-quality art that is accessible to everyone and we’re going try and develop it further.”
