Crowds flock to sing the Fields – in Athenry
A carnival atmosphere swept through Athenry on Monday last as the world’s biggest ever street performance of the Fields of Athenry brought an estimated 5,000 people to the town the same song has made famous the world over.
Orchestrated by Kamil Films, the same people who created the 15,000-strong street performance of Galway Girl in Galway City three years ago, this project has been dubbed “the day the Fields of Athenry came home”.
Kamil Films, led by Athenry resident Kamil Krolak, began planning this event two years ago, and producer Philip Cribbin said they were delighted with the success of the event – with the Amazing Apples and Matt Cunningham leading the crowd which filled the Square to capacity.
“This has been about two years in the planning and it gave everyone a reason to celebrate the song and show what it means to them.
“There was a real carnival atmosphere; we had support messages from all over the world – and people just had great craic – it brought the town to a standstill for a couple of hours,” said Philip.
The events on Monday were captured by nine cameras, a photographer and a drone operator – and will form the basis of a video that’s due to be released on June 15.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.