Bilingual autumn festival celebrating Irish culture in Carlow to kick off this Friday.

CARLOW’s Autumn bilingual festival, Féile an Fhómhair is kicking off this Friday 25 September with a packed programme of events across 10 days.

Organised by Glór Ceatharlach and running from 25 September to 4 October, the popular festival celebrates the very best of Irish culture with music, sean-nós dancing, art competitions and more across the 10 days, while encouraging people to speak Irish throughout.

The festival will begin on Friday morning at Éire Óg GAA Club with a with a bilingual Spraoicheist, or table quiz for primary schools at 10am.

A new addition to this year's programme is Lá Teaghlaigh, or Family Fun Day as Gaeilge, to be held at Carlow Town Hall on Saturday 26 September, from 1pm to 4pm. Families with young children are invited along for a free afternoon of activities including storytelling with Julie Ann de Brún, entertainment from Giggles the street clown, facepainting, artwork, a taste of yoga, and Irish singing and drumming with Angela Keogh and David Day. The event is being delivered in association with An tOireachtas and Glór na nGael.

The opening weekend will also see the Seven Oaks Hotel host the annual Carlow Set Dancing Weekend, running from Friday to Sunday, 25-27 September, drawing dancing enthusiasts from across the country. Workshops will run each day, with a Céilí Mór held each night to music from the Abbey, the Brian Boru and the Johnny Reidy Céilí Bands. Beginners and experienced dancers alike are welcome, with set dancing classes from Syl and Liz on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a free sean-nós workshop from champion dancer Irene Cunningham on Saturday at 12.30pm.

A range of events has been organised for schools throughout the festival. Alongside table quizzes for primary and post-primary students, pupils will have the chance to attend exclusive screenings of the award-winning Irish-language film Róise Agus Frank at IMC Cinema, Fairgreen.

Suitable for 5th and 6th class pupils as well as post-primary students, the subtitled film will screen at 11am on Tuesday, 29 September, and Thursday, 1 October. Booking is required through Glór Cheatharlach on 085 1340047, 087 2857048, or emma@glorcheatharlach.ie.

Irish conversation gatherings will take place in Lamberts of Dublin Street, while Carlow's newest Café Gaeilge, Leabhair Agus Lattes on Potato Market, will host a bilingual table quiz on Thursday, 1 October, at 8pm, followed by a seisiún na féile at 9.30pm in Teach Bar, Tullow Street.

The festival's second weekend turns to the great outdoors, with Carlow Tourism organising sixteen walks as part of the popular Autumn Walking Weekend, featuring talks, walks and hikes over three days catering to all levels of experience.

Among them, a leisurely bilingual walk along the Barrow Track from Milford to Carlow will take place on Sunday, 4 October, at 2pm, and is expected to suit those new to walking. A courtesy bus will depart from the Liberty Tree, Potato Market, at 1.15pm. The walk is free, but advance booking is essential via 059 9130411, 087 2857048, or info@carlowtourism.com.

An Gairdín Beo, Carlow's community garden, will host a Harvest Bounty Day on Saturday, 3 October, from 11am to 3pm, featuring talks, activities, a petting zoo, pizza, and a session with the Carlow Ukulele Players.

The full festival programme is available from Glór Cheatharlach and on facebook.com/glor.cheatharlach while printed copies of the brochure can be picked up at Carlow Library, Carlow Tourism, Lamberts Coffee House and Visual.