CARLOW'S ANNUAL celebration of the Irish language, music, theatre, literature, storytelling and fun will feature a feast of bilingual events which will continue right up to Lá le Pádraig on March 17.

Seachtain na Gaeilge aims to give everyone a chance to experiment with the language and the use of Irish in a fun and informal way, whether one has the cúpla focal or a céad míle focal.

The bilingual shop window competition has received a new lease of life this year and the many colourful displays on view have given a welcome lift to the town particularly in these times of gloom and doom. Popular children's storyteller Neil de Búrca will be in town on Tuesday, March 9 while the award winning author Mícheal Ó Ruairc reads for children gathered on Wednesday morning in Byrnes World of Wonder in the Fairgreen Centre and on Wednesday afternoon for the transition year students of Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach.

The Donegal traditional music trio Fidil will perform a very special Shaw session in the GB Shaw Theatre on Wednesday, March 10 at 8.30 p.m. They bring a modern exhuberance and energy to their fiddle music while at the same time remaining true to their native traditional style. Some tickets at ¤10 still available.

A TG4 film crew will be in Carlow on Thursday, March 11 to record a flavour of the festival including the revival of Féile Scoil Drámaíochta when local school groups will take to the stage in The GB Shaw Theatre and present a selection of mini dramas in Irish. Later in the day the crew will film the bilingual table quiz for senior pupils of local primary schools which will take place in the Éire Óg Clubhouse commencing at 7.30pm and a spot featuring Carlow's best musicians will be recorded at the traditional Seisiún in Teach Dolmain.

On Friday morning all are invited to take a break from their morning routine and head for the Seven Oaks Hotel between 10 a.m. and noon where a coffee morning will be held for Haiti.

RITH 2010, the all-Ireland Relay Run for Irish, will make its way through Carlow on Friday, March 12 at approximately 5 p.m. and a big turnout is expected to join the runners or to line the streets to cheer on the participants.

As part of the national Seachtain na Gaeilge festivities the nine day relay sets off in Belfast and covers over 250 towns and villages before finally arriving in Eyre Square, Galway on March 17 for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Glór Cheatharlach and the Carlow Folk Club are proud to present Dordán in Concert in the Seven Oaks Hotel on Friday, March 12. The group consists of three highly acclaimed Galway musicians Mary Bergin on tin whistle, Kathleen Loughnane on Harp and Dearbhall Standún on fiddle.

A festive treat is in store and should not be missed. Tickets at ¤15 and ¤10 from Seven Oaks reception or from Glór Cheatharlach on 085 1340047.

Other highlights include the Legend of Lowry Lynch and bilingual Singalong featuring 300 children under the direction of Mary Amond in the GB Shaw Theatre while 500 pupils at Gaelscoil Cheatharlach will leave their classrooms and head for their annual open air Ceilí in the school grounds on Tuesday, March 16 at 10.30 a.m.

All of events lead up to the much anticipated St. Patrick's Day parade which takes place from 3 p.m.