The Laois Festival of Flight – 7th to 10th April, 2022 – will celebrate the rich history of aviation and exploration in Laois with music events, arts and science workshops, history talks and films..
Download the Festival Programme here or view below.
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Programme of Events 2022
Thursday 7th April
Schools and Family Workshops
As part of the festival, schools and families will be invited to participate in a range of workshops exploring all aspects of flight, from the science of superheroes to the biology of flight in the natural world to flights of fancy with imagination and creativity.
Portlaoise Schools: Science of flight workshops with Barry Fitzgerald and Flights of Fancy Workshops with Artists Angelina Foster and Aga Grandowicz
Friday 8th April
Aircraft Technical Forum
The festival will feature a networking meeting of senior aircraft technical professionals in the field of aircraft leasing at Bloom HQ in Mountrath, drawing together the history of aviation in Ireland with its bright future.
Schools and Family Workshops
Portlaoise Schools: Science of flight workshops with Barry Fitzgerald and Flights of Fancy Workshops with Martina Coyle and Paul Timoney.
Portlaoise Plane
Guided tour of the Portlaoise Plane for Youthreach Participants
Saturday 9th April
Flights of Fancy Workshops
Family workshops with Dig it Kids, at the Dunamaise Arts Centre
The Impossible Dream
3pm at St Peter’s Church of Ireland Portlaoise
Performance of the Impossible Dream by Martin Tourish and the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra
Featuring Presentations from Teddy Fennelly and Ralph James, and poetry by Laura Murphy
Tickets €10 adults, €5 children. Click here for details and to book.
Sunday 10th April
Ceremony of Commemoration
12 noon Fitzmaurice Place, Portlaoise
Flyover by historic aircraft at 12.30pm, weather dependent.
Portlaoise Plane on Public Display, 12 noon to 3pm
Data Protection
Please be aware that photography and video recording may be taking place at all events during the Festival of Flight for media, event promotion and reporting purposes. If you do not wish yourself or your child to be recorded, please alert the event organiser in each case before the event commences, in order that you (or your child) can be excluded.
Details of Laois County Council’s data protection and privacy policies are here.
Col James Fitzmaurice from Portlaoise was co-pilot of the Bremen, for the first east west transatlantic flight, which landed on Greenly Island Canada on 14th April 1928, after 36 hours in the air. In 2022 we celebrate the 94th anniversary of this remarkable achievement. As a child Fitz witnessed the building of the Portlaoise Plane at Aldritt’s Garage in Portlaoise, the first plane built and flown in the Republic of Ireland
Call out for artists
This call out is now closed. Laois County Council Heritage Office and Creative Ireland Laois sought artists in a range of diverse media to design, manage and deliver workshops that would inspire children & young people to creatively and imaginatively respond to the theme of ‘flight’. Closing date for applications was March 21st.
Application details below:
Laois Festival of Flight Workshops Application details
Laois Festival of Flight Workshops Summary Form
