WAKE THE GIANT 2023
Saturday 19 August
The Land of Giants
Warrenpoint Municipal Park
Live from the Bandstand
11.00am – 12.00noon – Dixieland Casino Jazz Band
12.30pm – 1.30pm – Ursula Burns
2.30pm – 3.30pm – Annas’ Number
3.45pm – 4.45pm – Stephen Rafferty
5.15pm – 6.15pm – No Oil Paintings
Traditional Crafts
11.00am-5.00pm
Pottery – Millix Crafts
Rope Making & Traditional Games – Heritage Crafts Alive
Willow Weaving and Wood Turning – Welig Heritage Crafts
Willow Artist and Weaver – Heather McDermott
Wood Carving – Richard Kelly
Traditional Visual Artist – Patsy Preston
Giant Games
11.00am – 5.00pm
Interactive garden games to entertain all ages.
Giant Food Village- 11.00am -5.00pm
Giant’s Parade
2.00pm – Giant Arrival Point (opposite Lough and Quay)
2.10pm – Giant’s Parade through Warrenpoint Town.
Giant’s Arena
Warrenpoint Square
3.00pm – 4.00pm -Thunderbeat Drum
Exhibition
5.00pm – 6.30pm – Cool Kids Disco
8.00pm – 8.45pm – “Enchanted” The Giants Street Performance
Sensory Area
Great George’s St South
11.00am – 5.00pm
Interactive sensory play in the gardens of Seaview Nursery School.
Giant Funfair
Beside the Pier
12.00 noon – 10.00pm
Dizzylands is Ireland and the UK’s premier fairground provider with four generations of experience. Family fun for everyone.
On the Beach
Front Shore
10.30am – 4.00pm – The Carlingford Currach Club will be hosting their 18thIrish International Currach Championships.
11.00am – 12.00noon – In partnership with Live Here, Love Here, the Festival will begin with a beach clean on the front shore on Saturday 19th August.
Sunday 20 August
The Land of Giants
Warrenpoint Municipal Park
Live from the Bandstand
11.00am – 12.00noon – Sophie Lennon
12.30pm – 1.30pm – Ria Maguire
1.45pm – 2.30pm – Wookalily
3.00pm – 4.00pm – String Ninjas
4.30pm – 5.30pm – Unholy Gospel Band
Traditional Crafts
11.00am – 5.00pm
Pottery – Millix Crafts
Rope Making & Traditional Games – Heritage Crafts Alive
Willow Artist and Weaver – Heather McDermott
Willow Weaving and Wood Turning- Welig Heritage Crafts
Wood Carving – Richard Kelly
Traditional Visual Artist – Patsy Preston
Giant Games
11.00am – 5.00pm
Interactive garden games to entertain all ages.
Giant Food Village – 11.00am – 5.00pm
Giant’s Parade
4.00pm – Giant’s leaving Parade – Fionn the Giant will make his exit from Warrenpoint.
Giant’s Arena
Warrenpoint Square
1.00pm – 2.00pm – Yew Tree Ukes Choir
2.30pm – 3.30pm – Giant’s Street Performance – The ‘HEX’ Factor.
Sensory Area
Great George’s St South
11.00am – 5.00pm
Interactive sensory play in the gardens of Seaview Nursery School.
Giant Funfair
Beside the Pier
12.00noon – 10.00pm
Dizzylands is Ireland and the UK’s premier fairground provider with four generations of experience. Family fun for everyone. On the Beach
Front Shore
10.30am – 4.00pm – The Carlingford Currach Club will be hosting the 18th Irish International Currach Championships.
Wake the Giant in previous years...
2022
Wake The Giant 2022 in August 2022
Warrenpoint was buzzing with excitement – myths, legends, music, food and family fun.
World famous artist, sculptor and Wake The Giant Creative Director, Francis Morgan, will conjure the Mournes and Cooley Magic to create a Giant in size, scale and wonder the likes of which has NEVER been seen before!
The Wake the Giant festival started on Saturday 20 August at 2pm when local legend, The Point Man (Hugh Brown), will lead the return of Giant Fionn back into Warrenpoint with a jaw dropping procession
The new 30 foot tall Fionn – one of the biggest Giants in the UK and Republic of Ireland – will roll into town and he has planned some giant surprises for everyone to enjoy.
You’d better be quick though, as Fionn won’t stay awake for long.
Catch him before he returns to his slumber to get forty winks before he reawakens that night.
As the giant alarm clock strikes 8pm, Fionn awakens from his nap and makes his way to Queen Street for a street performance called ‘Myth & Time’.
Creative Director and Puppeteer Francis Morgan has created a beautiful story which sees Fionn regale us with his travels across the world and through time!
Take in the wonderful spectacle of the Myth & Time show, this 30-40 minute performance will be accompanied by local legend, The Point Man, and Fifteen Time Traveling Eco Students from the town’s local primary school, St Dallan’s.
But that’s not all, throughout the day there will be a giant food market, family activities and concerts in Warrenpoint Municipal Park.
Buskers will take to the streets to fill the town with music.
Luka Bloom performs in Warrenpoint
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Wake the Giant Saturday Programme
Sunday 21 August 2022
On Sunday, at the strike of 2pm Fionn will once again wake from his nap and make his way from Dock Street to Warrenpoint Pier as he another story he must tell us – the Story of Cahir Linn – the sunken city under Carlingford Lough.
In ancient times, so the story goes, there was a city where Carlingford Lough is now – the beautiful Cahir Linn, city of the pool. Listen closely as Fionn tells us about the history and legacy of Cahir Linn and how it sunk and became Carlingford Lough.
At 3pm, Fionn makes his final goodbyes for this year and as he leaves Warrenpoint he reminds us of what lays ahead if we continue to cherish our environment.
The finale of the festival weekend will commence at 4pm in Clonallon Park for the planting of the Giant’s Forest with native Irish trees.
Join Fionn’s eco warriors as they take us on a new journey and leave a lasting legacy for years to come
Land of Giants
Warrenpoint’s Municipal Park will be magically transformed into The Land of Giants.
As part of the Wake the Giant Festival a host of Giant family activities will take place in the park.
Activities available include Giant Games in the Kids Zone, Walk about Character’s, Green Crafts Zone, Giant Food Village.
Keep a Giant ear out too for some fantastic musical performances throughout the day.
Brian Kennedy performs in Warrenpoint
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Wake the Giant Sunday Programme
Wake the Giant 2022 in Warrenpoint is going to be HUGE (excuse the Giant pun)
We can’t wait!
Check back here for further details as we receive them!
WAKE THE GIANT : IN PREVIOUS YEARS
Wake The Giant 2019
1000’s of people came to Warrenpoint for a weekend of magic and legends the last time the Wake the Giant Festival was held on 2019! Unfortunately, like everything in life Covid stopped the festival in Warrenpoint for 2 years ( we are delighted that it’s back for 2022!)
Finn travelled through Warrenpoint Town Centre led by The Point Man – famous Irish actor Keith Singleton.
The magical moving theatre made it’s way through the centre of the town on the Saturday, 24 August 2019.
Check out the route Finn will took through the town.
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Hundreds of people lined the streets to make as much noise as possible to try and wake the giant.
The Point Man stopped off along the route to get help from local businesses to Wake The Giant!
Warrenpoint Artisan Market
The Warrenpoint Artisan Market took place in Warrenpoint Municipal Park at the Wake The Giant Festival
There was lots of food from local businesses available with live music during the afternoon From The Bandstand from various local artists.
On Sunday, there were two theatrical performances to Wake the Giant at Clonallon Park, Warrenpoint
The story of Finn unfolds through live performances.
The day was packed with family fun entertainment in Clonallon Park including slime workshop, balloon modelling, falconry display, live music, face painting, circus performers, arts & crafts, Food Village and so much more!
Have you still got a Mini Finn?
WATCH OUT… Mini Finn is on the loose!👀
Magical mini Finn’s, with secret powers wer handed out throughout the Wake The Giant festival in Warrenpoint in 2019.
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Wake The Giant: The Production
What has Derry Girls, Game of Thrones, Give my Head Peace and Soft Border got in common with Wake The Giant?
Wake The Giant show producer Dan Gordon played Red Hand Luke in the successful Northern Irish comedy Give My Head Peace.
The voice of the Giant Ian McElhinney played Barristan Selmy in the worldwide smash Game of Thrones and Grandad in Derry Girls.
The Point Man, Keith Singleton, stars in comedy Soft Border.
Renowned playwright and actor Dan Gordon has written a specially commissioned script to bring the story to life this year.
He said:
“Local legend has it that there is a giant sleeping in the Cooley Mountains on the far shore of Carlingford Lough, overlooking Warrenpoint.
This Festival is a brilliant way to keep local folklore alive by spinning the old yarns for a new generation.
The story sees the enormous Finn McCool sleeping (and we hear his snores roaring across the town!)
Finn’s mum, desperate to wake him, calls upon her grandson, Oisin, the greatest poet in Ireland, for help.
Together with his granny, Oisin must do battle with the mythical Hag Witch, Calliagh Berra, who, it is fabled, has come to steal away the youth of the children of Mourne.
This Festival calls for the whole population of the town of Warrenpoint to do whatever it takes to help Wake the Giant before the spell takes hold for ever!”
Wake the Giant: Bigger and Bettereeeee
We shot this video live from the procession through the town – you can see the tremendous fun everyone had!
It was so mush fun led by the hilarious Point Man (he’s mad but lovely!)
Can you see yourself in the video?
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The video below shows Finn coming across Carlingford Lough on a ferry!
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Wake The Giant returns to Warrenpoint on the 20 and 21 of August 2022.
Finn is dozing again! But how did we wake him on 2018 – scroll below to watch the show!
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We all know the story of Finn’s epic battle with the giant Ruscaire! (but just in case you need a reminder…)
The battle between the two giants raged across the Mournes, Cooleys and Carlingford Lough for days.
Finn lifted a huge stone and flung it at Ruscaire, it struck the evil Giant on the head and buried him into the ground!
The stone Finn threw, we now call Cloughmor and legend has it that The Big Stone is the final resting place of Ruscaire, The Giant of Snow and Ice!
But beware folks…these stories are not a thing of myth and legends of long ago but alive and well in 2019
Take a virtual walk to Cloughmor…
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