Latvian Festival in south Mayo town

The Latwest Association welcomes Latvian businesses and universities to Claremorris this weekend for a festival of music, song and dance.

Special guests include His Excellency Juris Stalmeistars, Latvian Ambassador to Ireland, Arvids Barsevskis, Rector of Daugavpils University, and Ilze Cakstina, CEO of the Irish Latvian Chamber of Commerce.

There will also be representatives of Banku Augtskola and Riga Business College available to potential third level business students and senior staff from Hansa Timber Ltd, who are seeking firewood outlets in Ireland.

There will be a series of meetings in Dublin, Mayo and Galway where business and university groups will exhibit their wares and examine areas of future cooperation and mutual business and marketing opportunities.

There will also be eyefuls of colour and earfuls of music centred in the Square, Claremorris, over the weekend. The Latvian diaspora will congregate to sing, to dance and to promote their craft skills at a morning market on the square tomorrow (Saturday).

Concert events commence in Warde's this evening (Friday) at 8 p.m. with Artis Abele. Admission is free.

Tomorrow will commence with a colourful parade from the Tesco car park to the Square at 2.30 p.m., followed by a diaspora concert in the Dalton Inn at 3 p.m. (free admission).

The finale will be a concert (ticket only) in Warde's on Sunday at 8 p.m., where a huge Claremorris welcome will be afforded to Asha and Varis Vetra, two huge stars of song from Latvia. Sunday also offers a guided tour of Croagh Patrick and Achill. Contact Noel or Skarleta at Latwest on (089) 2667477 to see if any tickets are still available.