Jarlath Burns, President of the GAA reflected on the value of building North-South relationships, the community spirit of the GAA and expressed his pleasure at coming to Scariff on bank holiday Saturday to celebrate the 21st Scariff Harbour Festival and major developments at Scariff GAA facility.
He was especially moved, however, by a request from local boy and big GAA fan, Elliot Moloney to sign his  leg cast and Clare jersey and who took a front row position in the audience.
The Armagh native was welcomed to Scariff by Co-founders of the Festival, Harry O’Meara and Mike Rodgers and by Chair of Scariff GAA Ger Rodgers and Club President, John S. Kelly, who played for Roscommon in the All-Ireland Senior Football Final against Kerry in 1962. He was also joined on stage by MInister for State, Timmy Dooley FF TD, Joe Cooney, FG TD and by Peter Harty, Inspector of Navigation with Waterways Ireland. Special presentations were made by the President to local and nationally recognised hurlers, Mark & Paul Rodgers, Patrick Crotty & to Dr. Michelle McNamara.
‘The festival is delighted to share in the recognition of the work done by Scariff GAA in bringing such a major project to fruition, said local phamacist, Harry O’Meara, which was carried out in collaboration with Derg Alliance and other bodies as part of Scariff Town Team initiative. The President was taken on a tour of the facility by Ger Rodgers and club officials including  the state of the art gym and the studio of Scariff Bay Community Radio, headed up by Jim Collins.
Not even the threat of Storm Floris stopped the enthusiatic crowd from taking to the specially erected dance floor on the Fair Green, when they stepped it out to the music of the Tulla Céili Band before Sin a Deir Sà brought this year’s festival to a close. The Furey’s had earlier brought bus loads of followers from all over the country, while the Grogan Brothers marked their 50th Anniversary in traditional music. The festival is likely to have topped the more than 20 festivals since the beginning, to the immense satisfaction of the organisers, sponsors and businesses.
Ronan Collins got the festival off to a popular start with a concert in the Church of the Sacred Heart, while local historians Micheál Pearl and his brother Martin took people on a walk through the centuries and Jane Halloran-Ryan spoke of the Orphan Girls from Scariff who travelled on board the Thomas Arbutnoth Ship as part of an emigration scheme in 1849/50. Close to 200 people watched special screenings of Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story in both The Library and the GAA hall, as the festival’s tribute to mark the first anniversary of her death.
Many too saw Old Photos East Clare, a looped presentation of local places and people going back to the 1800s. The Family Funday saw its biggest numbers yet, the inaugural Barry Nash U17 Memorial tournament got underway, boat tours from the harbour delighted many, as did the 8km walking tour of the countryside with Marie McMahon of Shamrock Walking Tours. Excited children ran freely in the Fair Green, while teenagers enjoyed the riverside & harbour watersports activities.
The Festival Chair, Mike Rodgers acknowledged sponsors Waterways Ireland, EKO Integrated Services and all who supported the festival in any way and most importantly the hardworking committee who never fail to deliver every year.
Previous Coverage
Anticipation levels rising ahead of Scariff Harbour Festival – 31/07/25
‘Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story’ at Scariff Harbour Festival – 16/07/25
Fureys Farewell Tour gig at Scariff Harbour Festival– 09/07/25
Impressive musical lineup at Scariff Harbour Festival – 08/07/25
Relive Scariff’s rich past through stories of people and place – 01/07/25
GAA President to attend Harbour Festival & Scariff GAA Celebrations – 29/06/25
Scarrif Harbour Festival News Archive