Alcock and Brown 100 Festival

About the Centenary Festival

From the 12th to the 16th June 2019, the town of Clifden in Connemara will host the ‘Alcock and Brown 100’ Festival to celebrate the centenary of the first non-stop transatlantic flight, achieved by Sir John Alcock and Sir Arthur Whitten-Brown in 1919.

The two Royal Navy pilots flew their Vickers Vimy biplane departed at around 1:45 p.m. on 14 June from St John’s in Newfoundland, Canada and landed at 8:40 a.m. on 15 June 1919 at Derrigimlagh Bog, Clifden in Connemara, Co Galway.

In doing this successfully and making it out alive, the pilots achieved the first non-stop transatlantic flight with a duration of 16 hours and 28 minutes landing about 25 miles north of their target destination.

Alcock and Brown’s landing site is now one of Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way signature discovery points along the coastal route in Derrigimlagh, close to Clifden.

Events planned for the festival will include an aviation conference, a fireworks display, a regatta, guided tours, street concerts and mini airshow with flyovers from Air Corps and private aircraft.

The festival will also see a full re-enactment of the 1919 landing and part of the celebrations include a ‘fly in’ involving several aircraft at the Cleggan Airfield on Saturday, 15th June.

In addition, as part of the commemoration of the landing at Derrigimlagh Bog, a statue of Alcock and Brown based in London Heathrow Airport will be transported to Clifden for the duration of the festival.

A series of seminars and educational events exploring the history of Alcock and Brown and the many aspects of the historic flight.

A series of guided tours are planned by local historians and archaeologists throughout the festival, along with a fun fact trail being organised for Clifden town. Leading literary legends, Tony Curtis and Brendan Lynch, will host poetry readings and discussions.

The twinning of Connemara National Park with Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, will take place during this festival, with Canadian Ambassador Kevin Vickers in attendance.

The original Centenary Production of the play ‘Those Magnificent Men’ will bring to life the amazing story of one of the most pivotal moments in aviation history, while other events include the traditional boat regatta, the Tour De Bens Cycle, and the Golf Classic.
With the street parade and the carnival in town, it will make for a week of entertainment for all the family.
Visitors can look forward to rousing traditional music from Trad in the West, who will be joined by a host of other musicians performing live such as Yvonne Tiernan & The Grey Willows Band and many more.

As the capital of Connemara, Clifden is steeped in history and culture, is a very popular destination for those looking to explore the magic of the West of Ireland and the breathtaking Wild Atlantic Way. The Alcock and Brown 100 festival celebrations will showcase the beauty of the region and hopefully bring even more visitors to this unique place on the Atlantic seaboard.

For more information about the Alcock and Brown 100 Festival see www.alcockandbrown100.com.

Alcock and Brown landing site map