The first-ever Cavan Day, where people and the diaspora of Co Cavan in Ireland come together to celebrate their pride, will be hosted virtually on Saturday, September 26.
Organizers said that Cavan Day is taking the place of the much-anticipated “Cavan Calling” homecoming festival that has been postponed until 2021 thanks to coronavirus.
The inaugural Cavan Day, organizers say, will allow Cavan people around the globe to show their colours and their pride in their home county, by taking to social media and celebrating Cavan using the #CavanDay hashtag.
On September 26, a special ‘Cavan Day’ show will broadcast live on Cavan TV and on YouTube featuring interviews with some of the Breffni County’s best-known figures across the world of sport, arts, food, and business, along with messages from Cavan people around the globe. The live broadcast kicks off at 5 pm Irish time, 12 pm EST.
Ireland's best loved chef, Neven Maguire, joined Cavan GAA star Oisín Kiernan, Chief Executive of Cavan County Council Tommy Ryan, and Cathaoirleach Cllr Sarah O'Reilly at Cavan Burren Park to launch the Cavan Day festivities.
For the first ever ‘Cavan Day’, on Saturday, 26th September, we want to create a sea of blue and white across the World Wide Web! Wherever you are in the?, share a photo of yourself in Breffni Blue on the #CavanDay hashtag, and show the world your pride in Cavan! ?? pic.twitter.com/GBlzx07Olu
— Cavan Calling (@cavancalling) August 26, 2020
Speaking at the launch, Neven Maguire said: “Cavan people are fiercely proud of where they come from, and rightly so. Its people, its stunning scenery, proud history, and wonderful culture, food, and of course that unmistakable Cavan wit, are all worth shouting about.
“The past few months have been difficult, with many people separated from loved ones, and a lot of people’s livelihoods placed under threat by the pandemic. Cavan Day is designed to give Cavan people at home and abroad a lift, and to remind us all that we are part of a wonderful global family,” said Neven.
Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Sarah O’Reilly said “The Diaspora is a subject that is close to my own heart, and I hope that on Saturday, 26th September we can make the world a smaller place, shine a positive light on our county, and connect the Cavan family worldwide like never before”.
“At home, many Cavan businesses will join in and promote their wares on the #CavanDay hashtag, offering special offers, so we hope Cavan Day can provide a tangible lift to our local economy as well,” said Cllr O’Reilly.
??Tomorrow we will be celebrating our very first #CavanDay ??We are encouraging you to wear your Cavan colours with pride, express your Cavanness! Reach Out and find your Cavan connection. Celebrate that connection with us by using the #CavanDay hashtag on social media! pic.twitter.com/pFaN7xYSMr
— Cllr Sarah O’Reilly (@sarahreilly30) September 25, 2020
Chief Executive of Cavan County Council Tommy Ryan explains that the Cavan Day initiative arose out of the Cavan Calling homecoming festival, and though the festival has been postponed for this year, the degree of enthusiasm for Cavan Calling prompted Cavan County Council to seek to harness the positivity that exists towards Cavan and to seek to bring Cavan people together, though we may be separated by oceans and continents.
“We were heartened – but not surprised – at the massive interest in Cavan Calling,” said Ryan, “so we were determined to find a way to bring people together online, even if we could not do so in person".
"One small consolation in these uncertain times has been the ability of the Internet to bring people together and in taking to social media on Cavan Day, Saturday, 26th September and sharing a picture of yourself in your county colours, a message to loved ones, a cherished memory or a picture of a favourite place, we hope Cavan people will make the #CavanDay hashtag a sea of positivity and celebration of our wonderful county.
To learn more about the first-ever Cavan Day, check out Cavan Calling's website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
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