Children's Area at George's Dock
George’s Dock is the designated area for younger visitors to the festival, with plenty of rides and amusements to keep them occupied. There will be a traditional carousel, helter skelter, bungee rides and lots of games and amusements, as well as peddle boat rides around the dock. Entertainment will be provided in this area by students of the McCormack Fay Irish Dancing School and the National Performing Arts School – both based in Docklands. Professional Irish Dancers from Celtic Dance Fusion will perform on Sunday afternoon. Applause Events and Promotions will have face-painters located on board the Jeanie Johnston, in the chq Building and on the South Quays.
For the second year running, the students from NPAS will perform a fantastic song and dance routine on George’s Dock Platform on the Saturday and Sunday of the Festival weekend. This local Docklands facility based in the Liffey Trust building behind the O2, boasts nine state of the art studios and offers a wide range of classes including: hip hop, drama, street dance, jazz, musical theatre, acting, script-writing and even cheerleading! You can see them at 12, 2, 4pm on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th at the Festival.
Gráinne McCormack has been teaching Irish Dancing to Docklands children in the East Wall for the last 40 years and will present the talents of her students from the McCormack Fay School of Irish Dancing, at the Maritime Festival on the Saturday 5th and Monday 7th at 1, 3 and 5pm. On Sunday 6th of June her son Fergal will bring his troupe – Celtic Dance Fusion – to George’s Dock Platform where they will give more contemporary Riverdance style performances also at 1, 3 and 5pm.
Conor Lamberts Custard Pie Puppet Company will perform four shows a day (for free) during the Festival in the chq building, Custom House Quay, at 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm and 5.30pm. Custard Pie Puppet Company’s mission is a simple one, to engage audiences of all ages with performances that are truly interactive and visually pleasing. Conor Lambert’s Custard Pie Puppet Company provides quality family entertainment where professional puppeteers bring audience participation to a whole new level as they deal with individual comments from the audience with aplomb. 
