The launch of the inaugural UCD Festival took place on Tuesday 12th April at 1pm in O’Reilly Hall. In attendance were inspiring UCD alumni who are contributing to the programme on the day including Fr. Peter McVerry, Miriam O’Callaghan, Dr. Rhona Mahony, Gordon Snell, Dr. Aoibheann Ni Shuilleabhain and Jarlath Regan.
On Saturday the 18th of June UCD will host the first ever UCD Festival. Events will take place across Belfield from 9am until 7pm. Visitors will experience an enormous variety of talks and exhibitions, theatrical performances, live music, interactive workshops and family entertainment.
This will be a day like no other in UCD, a showcase event that will be an excellent opportunity for one and all to discover the state of the art facilities on campus, explore the new buildings and the wonderful parkland.
The UCD Festival will be a day of connection, discovery and exploration. With a host of free events, campus tours, thought provoking talks from leading thinkers and high profile UCD alumni, with performances and family fun for all to enjoy. All alumni celebrating a milestone reunion are invited back to reunion picnics. Thousands of alumni celebrating a milestone picnic have been invited to rally the troops for a reunion picnic on campus, the likes of which have not been done before.
The UCD School of English Drama and Film will host a characters in conversation discussion about Maeve Binchy, titled “Remembering Maeve”, well-known friends and contemporaries of Maeve’s are invited to recount anecdotes and remember one of Ireland’s best loved writers.
The O’Brien Centre for Science will engage audiences of all ages with its “Discover Science” programme. From hands-on chemistry to augmented reality there will be something for everybody.
There will be tours, trails and exhibitions, the James Joyce Library will have many of its special collections on display. Rare access to two of the Georgian houses on the campus will be open for guided tours. UCD will also showcase its International heritage, as home to 5,500 international students, the festival will feature a series of events that reflect our global reach, from Bollywood dance workshops to 4th of July crafting sessions.
The UCD Student Centre will play host to the family fun area, with bouncy castles, a family BBQ, musical performances on the main stage. The Euro 2016 Ireland V Belgium game will be screened and for the sports enthusiast there will be a 5km run and UCD’s GAA pedigree will be on display on the day with an interactive GAA inflatable display.
The UCD Festival is supported by corporate sponsors, Codex Office Soluntions, AIB, and Britvic.
The programme of events can be seen on www.ucd/festival.ie
