Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, offers a host of Samhain (Halloween) attractions over October 25th, 26th and 27th Bank Holiday Weekend, presented by Waterford City and County Council in association with Fáilte Ireland.
The programme launches on Friday evening, 25th, with Dearg Dua, a stunning procession by award winning spectacle specialists Spraoi.
The Dearg Due procession commences at 7.30 p.m. in Cathedral Square, before performing along Lady Lane and Michael Street.
The production is currently being created in Spraoi Studios by a team led by Artistic Director: Mike Leahy, Performance Director: Nicholas Kavanagh, Character Concepts: Paul Bolger, Musical Director: Rob O’Connor, Choreographer: Rachel ní Bhraonáin, Costume: Mae Leahy, Denise Colbert, Casting: Shauna Farrell, Projection and Production: EveryEvent, with Producers Niamh Colbert, T.V. Honan, Kathleen Marchelewska and Arts Officer Waterford City and County Council Conor Nolan.
The Dearg Due, or Dearg Dur, literally translates as Red Thirst or Red Bloodsucker. Said to be a young woman that lived two millennia ago, the Dearg Due was once the daughter of a nobleman in Waterford. She was loved by all the villagers and commoners in the area. Kind, smart, and incredibly beautiful, the Dearg Due was famous across the country. What happened to her next, however, made her infamous.
