News

Dublin Port, Northern Europe’s newest homeport

To facilitate the growth of Homeporting from Dublin, where passengers begin and end their cruise from the city, Cruise Dublin have commissioned a unique stand-alone structure.

Built by Coopers Marquees, the fully equipped 30,000 square-foot cruise check-in facility has a capacity to homeport for even the largest cruise vessels. Watch the video to see the build process of Dublin Port, Northern Europe’s newest homeport.

Do’s and Don’ts of White Tie balls

At a recent January White Tie Ball, Coopers Marquees provided a stylish venue for this most spectacular of events. It was a magical event in a magical setting for a most elegant celebration.  

Take a look at this informed little video as to the do's and dont's of White Tie.

A Brief history of Ice skating

As Coopers Marquees have been so involved with Ice Rinks all around this country for over 20 years we thought it might be interesting for our visitor to know a little about the history of ice skating.

 Ice skating has been called the oldest human-powered means of transportation. During the winter it is easy for one to imagine our ancient ancestors gliding across frozen lakes in search of food or trying to speed up their trips in the waning daylight. The history of ice skating began about 5,000 years ago and since then there have been many changes both in form and function. 

The Earliest Ice Skates 

The oldest ice skates have been found scattered across Scandinavia and Russia, with the most ancient artifacts discovered to be about 5,000 years old. Modern scientists believe that the first manufacturers of skates were probably the Finns - who would have needed them the most, due to the fact that in the winter the southern part of Finland has more frozen lakes in 100 sq. km (40 sq. miles) than any other part of the world. 

Although ice skating is a popular winter sport today, the purpose of the invention of ice skates was not so much for recreation, as to make travel easier. 

How Skates Evolved 

Bone was probably the preferred “blade” for the earliest ice skaters. Many of the oldest skates (which may be more accurately called “gliders”) were generally created with the metatarsal or rib bones of deer, elk, caribou or horses. Holes were made at the front and/or back of the bones through which leather thongs or lengths of animal hide were strung to attach the bones to the feet. Scholars believe that these types of skates would have been accompanied by one or two pointed poles to help propel and stop the skaters.

Many attempts have been made at recreating the ancient bone skates, and it has shown that the surface of the bones made them very well-suited to gliding across the ice.Thus, the early bone style for ice skates remained the norm (although some also used wood) until metal skates were created in 1250 by the Dutch. That is when a flat wooden block and double-edged iron (later steel) combined to create the basis for the modern ice skate. The combination meant that the newer skates were much more stable and enabled freer movement. With a few more changes, the skaters could just push off with one foot and step with the other to glide quickly across the ice with their hands free.

Winterval at Waterford

Coopers Marquees were delighted to team up with Cool Running Events for the 2017 Winterval at Waterford Ice Skating experience.

For full details on the event and upcoming items, visit their website at https://www.iceskating.ie/. Early bird tickets are on sale now!

18,000 attend South Dublin On Ice

The first ever South Dublin on Ice saw up to 18,000 people visit the ice rink in just over two months at their Tallaght venue.

The initiative saw South Dublin County Council set up an ice rink next to Tallaght Stadium on Whitestown Way from November 14 up until Sunday 21.

To read the full article, click on Echo.ie

Olympic Ice Hockey at Blanchardstown on Ice

Mr. Robert Norwood, 2nd Vice-President of the Olympic Council of Ireland has attended the new year’s first Ice Hockey tournament at Ice Skating Blanchardstown where The Flying Ducks played against the Cork.

Among the team of six players on the ice are one goalkeeper, two defenders, two wings and one centre. Fewer players can be on the ice as a result of penalties: a goalkeeper can be replaced by a skater during a delayed penalty, or at any other time of the game, at the team’s risk.

A regular game consists of three 20-minute periods, with a 15-minute intermission after the first and second periods. Teams change ends for each period. If a tie occurs in a medal-round game in which a winner must be determined, a five-minute sudden-victory overtime period is played. In the gold medal game, a 20-minute sudden-victory period is played subsequent to another 15-minute intermission. In the case of a tie after any sudden-victory period, a game-winning penalty shoot competition takes place to determine the winner.

Canada are the defending champions for both men and women. Surprisingly the United States have not won the men’s tournament since Lake Placid 1980.

Boxed-Off Electronic Music Festival

Boxed Off is a one-day electronic music and audio-visual experience taking place at Fairyhouse Racecourse. With a host of international and local artists and performers combined with a unique space designed to stimulate all the senses and provide one of the biggest parties of the year to ease us back in to the colder months.  

Located 30 minutes from Dublin, Fairyhouse is one of Ireland's premier horse racing venues. In September it opened its doors to a very different crowd, as various local and international house and techno DJs made the journey for the new 12 hour event.  Nina Kraviz lead the line, and she was joined by Daniel Avery, Andhim, Patrick Topping, Dense and Pika, Detroit Swindle, HNNY, Jonas Rathsman, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Irish talents Ian O'Donovan, Conor Hanson and Gavin Francis.  

Coopers Marquees were the suppliers of the festival tents and facilities.

Official Opening of Slane Whiskey Distillery

Slane Castle is the latest must-visit destination for whiskey lovers world-wide with the opening last night of the Slane Distillery and visitors centre. Coopers Marquees were delighted to supply the marquee for the launch, providing a beautifully presented location for the official opening.

Built within the surroundings of the 250-year-old stables and grain stores, the working distillery expects 40,000 visitors per year initially. Following two years of renovations and preparation the distillery is now ready to receive visitors.

The brainchild of Lord Henry Mount Charles and his son, Alex Conynham, its conception was solidified by the acquisition in 2015 of Slane Whiskey by US company Brown Forman, makers of Jack Daniels and other beverages.

An ideal location for the distillery, the Slane Estate will produce the triple casked whiskey, retailing at €33 for a 750ml bottle.

To read more about Slane Whiskey and the distillery, visit the official website at https://www.slaneirishwhiskey.com/

HARVEST 2017 Country Music Festival

The Harvest Country Music Festival Roadtrip is Coming!

Coopers Marquees are providing the marquee facilites at both locations. Featuring Miranda Lambert and Nathan Carter, with very special guest Charlie Pride, it's a not-to-be-missed event.

Look out for the Harvest Festival Coach on the highways and byways of Ireland on Wednesday 26 & Thursday 27 July. Free pop-up performances along the route from Cliona Hagan & Jake Carter and your chance to win tickets to the festival.

For more details on the event, click here.

A Taste of Donegal 2017

Looking to have your taste-buds tantilised by 120 food Food Exhibitors from all over Ireland and the UK? Then A Taste of Donegal 2017 is the place to be.

Coopers Marquees are providing the marquees for the event, which will host Celebrity Chefs, Wine and Bar Masterclasses, Music and much more. There will also be a spectacular fireworks display over Donegal Bay.

Held from Friday 25th-27th August 2017 in Donegal Town, it promises to be a bigger and better event than ever before. We will be erecting large marquees on the Pier Arena in Donegal Town, with over 28,000 expected to attend.

For more details see http://www.atasteofdonegal.com/

2017 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

As always, the 2017 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann to be held in Ennis, is the must-visit event of the year showcasing Irish dancing, music and culture.

To be opened on August 13th, Michael Flatley, Dancer extraordinaireand Lord of the Dance will perform the official opening of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

An accomplished dancer, flautist, actor, director and producer, Michael Flatley first stepped onto the world stage in 1994 when he created Riverdance, a dance performance that caught the attention of millions around the world. Over the past two decades he has created, directed, produced and starred in several other successful shows including Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, Celtic Tiger and his latest show Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, which he took to London’s West End and Broadway.

We are delighted to be connected to such a prestigious event and look forward to the festivities. For more details on the event, click here.

Vodafone Comedy Festival Brings the Laughs

Now in its 11th year, The Vodafone Comedy Festival has gone from strength to strength, becoming a firm favourite in the Irish Festival market.

With over 100 acts participating in this years event, you can see talents including Tommy Tiernan, Daire O’Briain, David O’Doherty, Deirdre O’Kane and PJ Gallagher.

The festival runs from Thursday July 27th to Sunday July 30th at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin 2. Tickets are available from http://www.ticketmaster.ie/

Once again Coopers Marquees will be supplying marquees and accessories for this rip roaring event.

For more details see the Vodafone Comedy Festival website.

A Garden of Pure Imagination

Diarmuid Gavin, the award-winning Irish gardener, has transported his acclaimed Chelsea Flower Show Garden to Dundrum Town Centre. On display in Pembroke Square since May 20th it features topiary balls, a delightful brick folly, beautifully reflected in a rectangular pond and framed by conical trees.

But what makes it truly magical is that it is a live garden, with flowerbeds rising, trees twirling and the shed bouncing to life. Each show lasts 15 minutes and is a must-see. Based originally on Willy Wonkas tune and film, it is an inspiring site.

Coppers Marquees are delighted to be involved in this spectacular, having provided the marquees as part of the event.

The Dundrum Garden of Pure Imagination by Diarmuid Gavin will be displayed in Pembroke Square at Dundrum Town Centre until Sunday 10th September. It is free of charge and on to all visitors. Make sure and visit before it’s gone!

Marquee Facilities for one of Europe’s largest astrophysics projects

We are delighted to be working with the LOFAR’s Irish station, situated on the grounds of Birr Castle, Co. Offaly. One of the largest astrophysics projects in Europe, the network uses state-of-the-art data processing and storage systems as well as sophisticated computing techniques to combine the entire network into a telescope with the effective size of the European continent.

I-LOFAR will be the Irish addition to this network and the 12th international station to be built in Europe. It will allow Irish astrophysical research to be integrated into one of the most sophisticated telescopes on the planet.

Coopers Marquees have supplied the marquee facilities on-site, in which the team, including consortium members from Trinity College Dublin, UCD, Armagh Observatory amongst others, are working.

The project has garnered huge interest with many visitors to the site including Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen and Minister of State at the Department of Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor.

To read more about the project you can visit their website at http://lofar.ie/ or follow their Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/i_lofar for more regular updates.

To make enquiries on how Coopers Marquees can assist you with your project requirements, contact us now to speak with a member of our team. No matter how large or small your project is, we'll have a solution to fit the bill.

The AXA Bikecare & Country Crest Skerries 100 Motorcycle Race

This year’s AXA Bikecare & Country Crest Skerries 100 Motorcycle Race took place on Friday and Saturday, 30th June and 1st July over the demanding 2.9 mile seaside course. Coopers Marquees supplied AXA Insurance with a Pagoda Marquee for the event.

Derek Sheils comfortably won both the Open and Grand Final, taking it from Derek McGee and local racer Micko Sweeney. Racing in front of a large crowd of race supporters, he outraced competitors from the beginning, developing a lead that was impossible for either McGee or Sweeney to close.

Derek McGee, the Mulling Missile, however was comforted by a grand total of 3 wins having won the Kennedy Motorcycles 600cc, Sam Dennigan 125\Moto3 and the C&T Supermarket\The Peoples Race 650cc Supertwins race - all this following his 'Best Newcomer' award at the recent Isle of Man TT.

Congratualtions to all the winners at the Skerries 100 Motorcycle Race and in particular to our client and co-sponsor of the event, AXA Bikecare.

Live at the Iveagh Gardens

Designed by Ninian Niven in 1865, but with a history dating back over three hundred years, the Iveagh Gardens are located close to St Stephen’s Green Park in Dublin city centre.

Coopers Marquees will provide the tents and marquees for the Live at the Iveagh Gardens Festival, who from July 8th to the 23rd will host a variety of performers including:

• Olly Murrs - Saturday 8th July, 2017
• Fleet Foxes - Thursday 13th July, 2017
• Fleet Foxes - Friday 14th July, 2017
• Nathan Carter - Saturday 15th July, 2017
• Dropkick Murphy's - Sunday 16th July, 2017
• Belle & Sebastian - Thursday 20th July, 2017
• Damien Dempsey - Friday 21st July, 2017
• Passenger - Sunday 23rd July, 2017

With Scottish Indie Pop legends Belle & Sebastian set to return to Dublin this summer to play at the festival, it's sure to be a very special series of events.

Visit the Ticketmaster Website to view full listings and to purchase tickets.

Energia opens Ireland’s largest ever windfarm in Donegal

The new windfarm was formally opened by Ian Thom, Group Chief Executive of Energia’s parent company Viridian Group and Peter Bailie, Managing Director of Energia Renewables, together with the Mayor of Donegal Town, Patricia Callaghan.

The 95-megawatt wind farm has 38 turbines standing 115m high with 90m rotor diameter. Speaking at the recent official opening, Managing Director of Energia Renewables, Peter Baillie said, “This is an internationally prestigious development which is contributing to economic growth and the wellbeing of communities across the island of Ireland through the clean and efficient production of renewable energy.”

Adding, “we look forward to our continuing partnership with our neighbouring communities through the Meenadreen Community Fund. We will also be a continuing contributor of local authority rates for the lifespan of the windfarm which will be a minimum of 25 years.”

Coopers Marquees were delighted to be part of such a prestigious event and wish Energia the best for their future endeavors. To read more about the event click here.

North West 200 Race Week

Famed as Ireland’s largest outdoor sporting event, the Vauxhall International North West 200 is a week long festival of bike races attracting crowds in excess of 150,000 as well as the biggest names in the sport including Michael Rutter, Stuart Easton, Alastair Seeley, Guy Martin and Ian Hutchinson. Taking place annually in May, the International North West 200 circuit runs between the towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine - an area of outstanding natural beauty and home to the world famous Giant’s Causeway.

Coopers Marquees were delighted to be part of the festival, providing a structure to host a hospitality event for 500 guests. To view more information on the event view the North West 200 website.

The Balmoral Show 2017

Coopers Marquees were delighted to once again be part of The Balmoral Show housing the Food NI exhibitors along with cookery demonstations in our marquee. Once again the show provided a wide range of activities for visitors including national and international show jumping, livestock competitions, family entertainment, a children's farm and a garden village.

The Northern Ireland Food Pavillion hosted over 90 stands, all promoting Northern Irish produce. There were also over 40 catering vendors serving delicious food with ingredients sourced locally.

2018 marks it's 150th year, so to make plans to attend visit The Balmoral Show website. We'll see you there!

Christmas Parties 2016

It’s never too early to start planning your perfect Christmas Party in one of our unique marquees.

Our luxury marquees provide the ideal space for entertaining your guests during the festive season. At Coopers Marquees, we have years of experience managing, coordinating and providing first class service at some of the country’s most prestigious events. Whatever the size of your event, whether it is a staff Christmas party, family Christmas gathering, social party or a company Christmas lunch reception, we can help.

It’s time to book your Christmas party with Coopers Marquees! We have received a huge amount of enquiries and confirmed booking already, so get booking to avoid disappointment!!

Enquire about your Christmas party marquee today by emailing us at info@coopersmarquees.com or call us on 046-9242555

Christmas Ice Rinks to visit around Ireland

Ice Rinks Marquees

Christmas in Ireland is not complete without a glide around an ice rink. Towns across Ireland have been transformed into magical skating rinks this winter for an enchanted Christmas experience. Get your skates on and check out some of this winter’s Christmas ice rinks to visit around Ireland – Here are four of our favourites:

Ice Skating Blanchardstown – Dublin

If you need a break from Christmas shopping and as you might have guessed, this Christmas ice rink is situated next to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre – and is therefore one of the most ideal places to skate in Dublin city. Glide and weave at your leisure and there are plenty of places nearby where you can get festive food, drinks and gifts.

For more details check out: http://www.blanchardstowncentre.ie/ice-skating-blanchardstown-is-back or Ice Skating Blanchardstown on Facebook.

Christmas Kingdom – Malahide, Dublin

Christmas Kingdom and Malahide-On-Ice is located in the magical setting of the village green in Malahide, Dublin. At the village green along with the ice rink, there’s Santa’s Grotto where small guests can write their letter to Santa in the Post office, visit Santa’s magical world and meet Mrs Claus, the elves and Santa himself. Following a skate across the ice rink, visitors can enjoy Christmas animal farm (including reindeer), Food Village and Christmas markets.

For more details check out: www.christmaskingdom.ie or Christmas Kingdom on Facebook.

Wexford Winterland – Co. Wexford

Returning to the Quays in Wexford set against the spectacular backdrop of Wexford Harbour, Wexford Winterland is perfect for grown-ups and kids alike! Wexford Quay has been transformed into one of Ireland’s premier Christmas attractions on with a massive ice rink. This magical Ice Skating experience is ideal for the whole family, following a stint on the rink, visitors can head to the Ice Café situated right beside the ice rink, it’s the perfect location to enjoy a festive hot chocolate and soak up the Christmas atmosphere.

For more details on this Winterland experience check out: www.wexfordwinterland.com or Wexford Winterland on Facebook.

Dundalk On Ice – Co. Louth

Dundalk will recreate a Christmas card scene this winter, as its annual Dundalk On Ice arrives once again bigger and better than ever in the Market Square of the town. This year with a 480 square metre REAL ICE ice rink fully housed in a 720 square metre all weather marquee. That means that rain, hail or snow you will be able to skate away to your heart’s content on a real ice.

For more details on Dundalk On Ice check out: http://www.dundalkonice.com or Dundalk On Ice on Facebook.

Why not check out the four ice rinks to see some of our fabulous marquees, as they are housed in Marquees supplied by Coopers Marquees.

Coopers Marquees supply ice rinks of various sizes to suit the number of guests at your event and don’t worry the solid floor base is watertight. The addition of a bar/restaurant will give your guests somewhere to chill out between skating sessions, and watch other guests dancing on ice (or perhaps clinging on to the provided barriers). Marquee linings in ivory or white can create a luxurious marquee-style venue for your ice rink and can be provided with furniture hire and portable toilets, if required.

Coopers Marquees have been providing marquee hire to some of Ireland most prestigious Corporate, sporting and public events. We also provide Wedding Marquee hire and marquee hire for parties.

Please contact us for ice rink hire pricing or call Coopers Marquees on +353 46 9242555 to discuss your requirements.

Home Sweet Home Marquee Wedding

A beautiful marquee wedding.

Séan & Zivile put on a fabulous day for friends & family in the comfort of their home in the beautiful backdrop of the Mayo countryside. It was an honor to be part of such a lovely occasion. The Bride & Groom were very hands on with the wedding preparations. It truly was a stunning day and here is a review from the happy couple and a few pictures from their special day. Congratulations to Séan & Zivile

“My wife and I recently got married on August 8th in Westport, Co. Mayo and had a marquee reception in the gardens of the house with lovely views of Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick Mountain. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of Coopers Marquees where Coopers made our dream wedding come true with an incredible set up of a fabulous glass walled marquee (with beautiful lining drops and up lighters that made for a warm environment) which all the guests (and the neighbors:)) are still raving about.“

“Coopers Marquees definitely over delivered on the finished product and were very experienced/skilled in the engineering and construction of the marquee by working over two days to ensure the marquee was elevated and situated in the middle of a difficult site with the proper weighted balusters which allowed us and all the guests to capture the breathtaking views of the west of Ireland. Tim and Liz Cooper along with Johnny and all the staff were a class act and delivered outstanding customer service and great attention to detail in all our planning needs. Thank you again for making our big day so special that allowed for wonderful memories."

– Sean & Zivile

Read more about our Wedding Marquees.

Marquee Lighting

Atmospheric lighting will set the mood for your event.

Lighting will create the atmosphere of your event and we are masters at getting it just right. Whether you want to create a spectacular gala event with pin spot lit tables, a dramatic ceiling of starry lights or subtle mood lighting for a special celebration we have the perfect solution for you.

Nothing else can have a greater impact on the look and feel of your Marquee set up than it’s lighting. Coopers Marquees selection of specialist lights will transform your Marquee adding colour to the roof to walls of the marquee to suite your theme.

To further enhance the stage area we can provide backdrops and uplighters to add atmosphere to any marquee. Stages can be as vibrant or as subtle as the client requires.

Ever thought about having a ceiling that makes your marquee look as if it’s a very starry sparkly night but perhaps don’t know anything about them?

They are called ‘starcloths’ and they come in a wide range of sizes and even some alternative colors. A star cloth is a piece of dark fabric, which has low voltage LED lights attached to the fabric material.

Starcloths have several uses, depending on size. Smaller cloths are most commonly used as a backdrop for an event. Large cloths are used to cover the dance area as either a ceiling drape or sometimes a backdrop too. When used as a backdrop the effect is spectacular, creating a starry sky over the disco or band area whilst offering a ‘wow factor’ sparkle.

As well as dance floor areas, different color star cloths can be used to add sparkle to dining or bar area. At Coopers Marquees, our  “star roof cloth” is available, however we can supply other types of starcloth covering options.

Contact us: 046-9242555 or info@coopersmarquees.com

Christmas Party Marquee

Did somebody mention Christmas?

We don’t know about you but it never ceases to amaze us how quickly the summer comes and goes in the blink of an eye and the conversation soon turns to Christmas parties and celebrations.

Coopers Marquees have a range of marquees and interiors to meet any Christmas party or event, whether it is a small family function, a large corporate event or your Christmas staff party! We can create the perfect atmosphere for your event in the venue of your choice, whether it be at your premises or another location. 

Be it a family celebration in Galway, a staff party marquee in Dublin or winter wonderland wedding in Kerry, we have the expertise and knowledge to ensure the most successful of events for you and your guests.

A party marquee is a blank canvas for you to really impart your own themes and styles upon to create the perfect ambiance for that unique celebration you will want to achieve.

Give your staff and clients a Christmas party to remember!

Should you have any questions concerning a party marquee please get in touch at info@coopersmarquees.com or 046-9242555

Marquee Options - A Short Guide

New to marquee hire?

All marquee systems are modular in length i.e., each supplier will hold certain widths within their stock, and these widths are extendable in bays, of 5 metre increments.

There are two main categories of marquee: Traditional and Frame.

Traditional Marquee Hire

When we talk about traditional marquees in the Events Industry we are generally referring to pole tents, soft tops, or marquees that have ropes pegged to the ground on the exterior. Traditional marquees, historically, have been made of a cotton fabric, but for obvious reasons, PVC coated polyester is a more modern and practical fabric. While traditional marquees look very nice, and do offer that, lawn and freshly cut grass ambience, they are not always as practical as they may seem.

Aluminium Framed Marquees

The modern alternative to the traditional marquee is what we know as a ‘framed Marquee’. The framed Marquee offers an internal space which is completely free of poles or any other interruptions, making it a very good choice for large receptions, which require guests to be seated in the one area. The solid aluminium framed marquee offers a reliable structure, because the profiles of the aluminium are strong enough, and engineered to Industry Standards. Due to the strength of the large profiles of the steelwork, they are geared to carry fibreglass walls (which is what we refer to as hardwalls within the industry) and also they can allow for proper glazing panels and glazed doors to be hung.

As a result of this, event marquees are considered very user friendly spaces, with every comfort catered for, including carpeting, internal linings, sophisticated lighting, very level and stable flooring, climatically controllable, and an all around compliance with fire, health and safety standards.

Aluminium framed marquees are usually A framed – but there is also the choice to add on a bell end – to one or both ends, which results in a softer look to the structure, and can also sometimes fit into a space that has a decreasing available space.

Pagodas

Pagodas are very useful small marquees – which usually have a peaked type of roof. They come in small dimensions i.e. 3m x 3m, 4m x 4 m, 5m x 5m and 6m x 6m. They can either be used as stand alone structures for seating or standing guests, and can be linked together for larger numbers so that you could have four 5m x 5 m pagodas making an overall space of 10m x 10 m. Pagodas are used for bars, champagne receptions, entrance porches, kitchens, smoking shelters, string quartets. Their uses are endless.

Contact us now to discuss your marquee requirements.