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Festival of the Sea is an annual event designed to promote cultural, historic and community ties between Southeast Ireland and the Southern Avalon region of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
The three pillars of the festival are:
- Celebrating the history and culture of the linked communities
- Promoting local, sustainable community amenities
- Identifying and responding to community development issues
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Welcome to the Festival of the Sea Web Site
The purpose of this Newfoundland and Labrador site is to share information on the Festival of the Sea and on other activities organized by the partners involved with this project. This will include:
- itineraries for events
- reports and photographs of activities
- papers produced
- special project details
- information about the regions involved
- related news
The Ireland - Newfoundland Festival of the Sea rotates each year between Ireland and Newfoundland. It is organized on the Newfoundland and Labrador side by the Ireland - Newfoundland Festival of the Sea Inc and is referred to as “Festival of the Sea.”. The committee organizing in Ireland call their event the “Ireland-Newfoundland Festival.”
In Newfoundland and Labrador the activities started (2004) in and were focussed on the Southern Avalon Peninsula, a region with a large population of Irish people whose ancestors came from Ireland in the 1700 - 1800s. Activities took place on the Cape Shore, in the Placentia Area, in St. Mary’s Bay and on the Southern Shore. This encompasses two economic zones, the Avalon Gateway and Irish Loop, whose regional economic boards set up, and supports the work of, the Festival of the Sea Committee. In 2010 the catchment area was expanded to include a third economic zone, Northeast Avalon, including the City of St. John's. Besides the three Regional Economic Development Boards, the Benolovent Irish Society and the Southern Avalon Tourism Asociation now have membership on the Board of Directors and the City of St.Johns is expected to be included in future.
In Ireland the event takes place in the counties that make up Southeast Ireland. This is the region from which many Newfoundland Irish families originated. So far activities have been centred in Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny.
Exchanges in each area include such cultural exchanges as: singing, dance, music, art and crafts, story-telling and theatre. Workshops include discussions on cultural and economic/community development issues.
It is hoped to grow this Festival into a major international tourism event that will celebrate the history and culture of the linked communities, create economic development, promote sustainable communities amenities and develop new friendships.