2000 Ireland - Millennium Events
Ireland is preparing to witness the end of the 20th century and the
second Millennium with an exciting mixture of traditional
celebrations, once-off extravaganzas and symbolic ceremonies.
New Years Eve will be a time for reflection as well as celebration.
The National Millennium Committee is strongly of the view that this
momentous transition in time must be marked in a way that reflects
the uniqueness of the occasion.
The mix of events for the night that is now emerging is potent.
Throughout the country spectacular fireworks displays, street
parties, rolling concerts and musical events to suit all tastes will be
taking place.
This will be balanced by events designed to capture the enormous
symbolism of the occasion. In the afternoon, shortly after 4 o'clock,
as the natural light fades for the last time in this Millennium the
entire country will have the opportunity to bear witness through a
ceremony involving light. Every home in the country will be
provided with a commemorative Millennium candle for this
ceremony.
Again at midnight the symbolism will be to the forefront. As we
enter the first seconds of the 21st century and the third Millennium
church bells throughout the country will ring out a welcome to the
new era. A new beginning, new hope and peace will be themes
central to the celebrations.
'LAST LIGHT OF MILLENNIUM' CEREMONY WILL INVOLVE
EVERYONE IN WITNESSING THE CENTURY'S FINAL
SUNDOWN
Shortly after 4 pm on Friday, December 31st the natural light will
begin to fade. Daylight will slowly melt into the greyness of dusk.
And as the minutes slip by dusk will give way to darkness. The sun
will have gone down on the 20th century and the second Millennium
for the last time. It will be an enormously symbolic moment in time.
It will make us all focus in our own way on the nostalgia of seeing
the old and familiar fade and the apprehension of facing a new
dawn in the uncharted 21st century and the third Millennia. It will
be a time for celebration but celebration in its broadest meaning. It
will be a time for reflection, a time to search for and identify the
real reason we have a Millennium to celebrate.
The National Millennium Committee intends turning the "Last Light"
ceremony into an event that will allow all of the population,
2000 Ireland - Millennium Events
irrespective of age, religion, belief, income or location, celebrate
this unique sundown in a national wave of nostalgia mixed with
celebration and anticipation. The ceremony will be simple yet
memorable, sensitive and highly symbolic. It will be organised
promoted and marketed with sufficient energy to captivate most of
the country's population.
The National Committee intends sending a Millennium candle to
every home in the country in the weeks before New Year's Eve. It
will be specially designed and will carry the Millennium logo. Full
details of the Millennium gift pack for the 1.3 million homes in the
country will be announced shortly.
Sunset
The National Observatory at Dunsink record that in normal weather
conditions, sunset on December 31, 1999 in Dublin will be at
4.16pm. Other areas of the country will be before or later (the gap
is indicated in brackets)
Dundalk: 4.13 (-3 mins)
Drogheda: 4.14 (-2 mins)
Wicklow: 4.17 ( + 1 mins)
Mullingar: 4.19 (+ 3 mins)
Athlone: 4.22 (+ 6 mins)
Galway: 4.28 (+12 mins)
Limerick: 4.29 (+ 13 mins)
Cork: 4.33 (+ 17 mins)
Tralee: 4.36 (+ 20 mins)
Waterville: 4.40 (+ 24 mins)
The National Observatory will be providing a list of sunset at 30
venues around the country.
A final programme of events for New Years Eve and the whole
Millennium weekend will be published shortly. The following is an
outline of the events confirmed and those being planned.
New Years Eve (Friday):
12 noon-4 pm: Concerts at College Green, Dublin and locations
countrywide which will feature up and coming Irish talent.
4.15 pm: 'Last Light' ceremony begins in Dublin and creates a
wave of light as it moves across the country. RTE will cover the
event live.
6 p.m: The bridges across the River Liffey are illuminated for the
first time creating a dazzling 'Mexican wave' of light along the river.
A number of bridges across the River Lee in Cork will also be
illuminated.
8 p.m or midnight: Spectacular fireworks display being planned
for Dublin.
The location chosen will allow for maximum viewing capacity
without it being necessary for crowds to converge on the city
centre. Fireworks displays will also take place in a number of other
locations around the country.
12 midnight: Bells in every church in the country are rung for
several minutes to herald the new Millennium
New Years Day (Saturday)
2000 Ireland - Millennium Events
A new £1 Millennium coin goes into circulation for the first time. It
will be the last Irish coinage minted before the introduction of the
Euro. A special ceremony to mark this historic moment will be held.
1 pm: Millennium Moments as the nation pauses for two minutes of
silence and reflection. The ringing of bells will signal the beginning
and the end of the two minutes.
1.30 pm: The Millennium flag will be raised at locations
countrywide. Trees to mark the beginning of a new Century and a
new Millennium will be planted. In a number of locations 2,000
yellow balloons will be released. Presentations of specially
commissioned silver Millennium pins will be made to senior citizens
in recognition of their incalculable contribution to modern Ireland.
January 2, 2000 (Sunday)
Presentations countrywide of specially commissioned silver motifs
for all babies born on January 1 and also to their parents.
2 pm: Unique Ecumenical Service in the National Concert Hall
which will be televised live. It will include a live link-up with a
service being held at the same time in Belfast.
DUBLIN
The following commercial event is planned for Dublin:
Title of Event: Millennium Mania
Description: It is the largest indoor Millennium party to be held in
Ireland. Over 12,000 people are expected to attend one of the 3
party options at the RDS venue.
Dates: New Years Eve 1999
CORK:
The streets of Cork will come alive on New Year's Eve at 12 Noon
with a carnival on Patrick Street. You can also expect to see a live
concert in Emmet Place, a Bridge illumination Ceremony, and a
2000 strong group of Corkonians on the Banks of the Lee lighting
torches as the last light of Millennium fades. That evening Cara
O'Sullivan headlines a classical concert at the City Hall and at the
stroke of midnight there will be a Fireworks Display which will be
visible all over the city and the suburbs.
Next day, there will be an Ecumenical Service at City Hall followed
by a Capsule Ceremony and a Homecoming for a selection of
Famous Sons and Daughters of Cork hosted by our Lord Mayor Cllr.
Damian Wallace.
Youngsters can look forward to an outdoor sports exhibition in the
vicinity of City Hall and in Emmet Place there's a kids disco. As the
carnival ends on Patrick Street that day, City Hall will begin to pulse
to the sound of a monster Ceil’, bringing the first day of the third
Millennium to an end.
On December 8th, the day when country people traditionally come
to Cork for the Christmas Shopping, there will be a celebration of
Front Row: Gerry
O’Donovan, Cork Junior
Chamber of Commerce,
Amelia Norman.
Back Row: Bishop John
Buckley, Bishop of Cork
and Ross, Padraig Liston,
MD Murphy’s Brewery Irl.,
The Right Honourable The
Lord Mayor Cllr. Damian
Wallace and Tom O'
Byrne, RTE.
2000 Ireland - Millennium Events
this link with lighted beacons in the harbour, a water-based
ceremony, a caravan of horse drawn vehicles coming down the
Butter Road to Cork and a rousing Sliabh Luachra session in the
Shandon area.
Funfair Millennia comes to town on St. Stephen's Day and runs for a
fortnight at The Showgrounds; a film will be made of a journey by
boat from Gougane Barra to Cork, which traces the path taken by
Saint Finbarr 1400 years ago; Frank O'Connor, the short story
writer, will be honoured with a special event in the Spring of 2000.
Tom O’Byrne, RTE, the
Lord Mayor Cllr. Damian
Wallace, Aidan Stanley,
and Amelia Norman.
On the Rock front, the "Lark by the Lee", will be revived with Lark
2000 in June next and the roots of Cork Rock will be celebrated at
the Triskel Arts Centre. In April 2000, Corcadorca presents "The
Trial of Jesus" a pageant which will be performed on Good Friday on
Patrick's Hill and Bell's Field.
Cork's many festivals will benefit from special events associated
with them. In particular, this year's Guinness Jazz Festival will have
a special Millennium focus and in 2000 the Cork Choral Festival and
the Cork Folk Festival will stage special events, the latter taking a
look at how traditional music survives and thrives within families of
musicians.
As the year unfolds a series of Tea-Dances for the elderly will take
place at the City Hall.
That's the story so far. The National Millennium Committee has
encouraged the public to pick up details of the Millennium Events
Awards from Pat Duggan, Special Projects Officer/Millennium Officer
at City Hall and by mid-October the events outlined above will be
considered for funding, along with any other proposals from the
public which will be received by this Committee and which will then
be considered for funding by the National Millennium Committee.
WATERFORD
The City Of Waterford will celebrate the dawn of the new Millennium
with the most spectacular programme of entertainment ever seen
in South East Ireland.
A voluntary team of leading experts from marketing, legal, financial
and entertainment backgrounds has organised a cross community
spectacular that will culminate in a major concert presentation and
fireworks display on the historic Quay of Waterford.
Committee chairman and President of the Waterford Chamber of
Commerce Redmond O' Donoghue said "unlike many other centres,
our plans were formulated as early as mid 1998. The Chamber set
up a committee well qualified to provide the citizens of Waterford
with a memorable celebration of the New Millennium. The
establishment of a full time Millennium office managed by a full
time event administrator ensures a constant flow of information to
an enthusiastic local community".
The entire programme will be directed by Waterford born, award
winning impresario Brian Merriman who has devised a superb event
worthy of the occasion. Major features of the day long programme
Dan Buggy, Assistant City
Manager, Cork
Corporation, Padraig
Liston, MD Murphy’s
Brewery Irl., the Lord
Mayor Cllr. Damian
Wallace, and Aidan
Stanley.
All above pictures taken
at the launch of Cork's
New Year Millennium
programme of activities
2000 Ireland - Millennium Events
will be:
The Human Millennium Clock (e.g. history reports that Waterford
was burned to the ground in the year 1252 - this will be staged at
12.52 hrs. on New Year's Eve): On the hour every hour from
10.00am: A picture of our past: Indoor and outdoor presentations
by schools, drama, arts and cultural groups on scenes from history.
Countdown Concert: At Waterford's historic Theatre Royal - a gala
presentation featuring Waterford's greatest artists: Val Doonican,
Anna Manahan, Louis Stewart (Yes! Louis is a Waterford man), a
tribute to Wallace, The Waterford International Festival of Light
Opera (featuring Aine Millea of the Vienna State Opera), Jim Nolan
and much more.
The Quay to the Future: A five hour open air spectacular featuring:
A choir of 1000 voices, the Spraoi Fireshow, Waterford's Wish for
the Future, live radio outside broadcasts.
Alderman Pat Hayes Mayor of Waterford, and a member of the
organising committee said "I am proud to be associated with what
promises to be a tremendous event for the people of Waterford. In
the past ten years Waterford has undergone a major transformation
that by and large has escaped the attention of those living outside
the immediate area. The social infrastructure of the city and county
has changed radically for the better with enlightened planning,
substantial inward investment and the dedication of many fine
individuals committed to maintaining Waterford's position as the
premier location in South East Ireland".
The celebration, the most ambitious outdoor event in the country
will be supported by contributions from the civic authorities,
corporate sector and the people of Waterford.