Community spirit - Festivals the real riches of our nation

THOUGH they are not a peculiarly Irish institution we have infused them with a flavour and vigour uniquely our own.

Part mardi gras, part business bonanza, part tourist attraction and often a way to remember an artist or — like the numerous steam fairs — to celebrate a lifestyle long gone, they are all a celebration of community.

Be they the grandest of affairs or simple, local gatherings, they are events that unite, advance and more often than not bring great pleasure to the participants.