Georgian culture warms thousands of hearts in Dublin

Georgian performers who opened the eyes of thousands of revelers to Georgia’s unique singing, dancing and local culture at an international festival in Ireland have returned home.

Georgia’s presence at the Port Riverfest in Dublin was greeted by enthusiasm by event organisers, who earlier said they looked forward to seeing traditional Georgian performances.

Irish media said the May 31-June 2 festival was attended by more than 100,000 visitors.

Georgian traditional fencing performed by Shavfarosnebi. Photo by Sean Brosnan - Pixillume Photography.

A diverse variety of Georgian acts were performed throughout the weekend, including Georgian singers and dancers.

Georgia’s National Ballet ‘Sukhishvilebi’, folk culture performers ‘Shavfarosnebi’ and Rustavi Choir entertained visitors and showed them the Georgian spirit. It has been more than 30 years since Georgia’s National Ballet last performed in Ireland.

Georgia's National Ballet SUKHISHVILEBI performed Khorumi. Photo by Sean Brosnan - Pixillume Photography.

Guests were also able to watch a film by Georgian filmmaker Tinatin Gurchiani, titled The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear, and taste Georgian national cuisine and wine. A demonstration was also held to show how Georgian cheese was traditionally made.

The annual festival is touted as an important part of Ireland’s social and economic strategy. It has operated for more than 300 years and almost all European countries participate in the event.