Crowds thronged Athenry Castle Park and the children’s playground on Saturday week last for Athenry’s ‘Big Day Out’, a fundraising day to upgrade and maintain the local playground.

Good weather ensured that it was a wonderful success – with the focus on promoting local talent, creativity, and music.

Youth creators and local craftspeople were featured with their own stalls, food trucks were busy and the continuous and varied live music added spice to the day.

In the playground, families enjoyed creative play, workshops and activities like dancing, drumming, mural painting, yoga, crafts, sensory play, and more.

The playground fundraiser opened with the official opening of Athenry Little Library, a book-sharing initiative gifted to the town by Athenry Community Council.

Art from local residents Scott Hartney, Tanya McGarry, Eve Dillon and others and authors Katherine Scanlon and Georgia-Mai O’Boyle read from their latest books.

Julie-Rose McCormick’s Puppet Theatre and Ultraflex Dance Academy provided entertainment and workshops.

The continuous concert featured acts such as the Hielscher brothers and Philip Joyce from Esker and a young rock band named Infrared.

And the playground group’s ‘Design Your Dream Playground’ art competition attracted more than 400 entries.

‘A great opportunity to get together for a really good cause’ was the verdict of local Cllr. Peter Feeney, who also chairs the Athenry Community Council.

Since re-forming in 2024, the local playground group has been working to bring attention to the playground, which, after over 20 years of use, has begun to deteriorate and become unsafe.

The group has raised €50,000 through community activism, donations, and fundraisers. The funds will be used to refurbish the playground and install new equipment.

Progress can already be seen, thanks to the recent purchase of new sensory play panels, which were funded in part by Galway County Council’s Community Development Scheme Infrastructure Grant.

Pictured: Cormac Monahan of Esker Timber Creations showed his unique handmade planters at Athenry’s Big Day Out. Photos by Kennedy-Beirne/eirefoto