Lughnasadh

Each year Czech artist Josef Ryzec organises a festival of the arts, dedicated to the Celtic god of arts and crafts, Lugh. This year's Lughnasadh opens in Prague at Galerie LAPIDARIUM (Ramova 6) at 17.00 Saturday 6 August with an opening address by Ms. Erin Swan , Deputy Head of Mission at the Irish Embassy.

Josef Ryzec is a direct descendent of Walter Devereaux, the Norman/Irish knight who assassinated Generalissimo Wallenstein in Cheb in 1634 and thus can be said to have changed the course of Czech history! The original Devereaux had married into the family of Leinster High KIng, Diarmaid MacMurchadha which makes Josef obsessively Irish (more Irish than the Irish themselves, it can be said).

The Lughnasadh arts festival has many participants. The art must have a Celtic theme. Amongst the 36 artists exhibiting their works is Viktoria D'Agostino. It has been held in many cities and towns in Austria and the Czech lands which have Celtic roots, and the original was held in Dublin and launched by the then Minister for Culture Sile DeValera. More info at https://www.facebook.com/SpolekLughnasadhand https://lughnasadh.webnode.cz/tipy-na-vylet/

On 15 August we commemorate the laying of the foundation stone (on 15 August 1652) of the Irish Franciscan Church, the church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, (now Divadlo Hybernia). A further note will follow concerning this.

We thank Sean and Kathy O'Sullivan for keeping us all in the loop on these events!