12th Willie Keane festival

The 12th annual Willie Keane Memorial Weekend will be held in Doonbeg from Friday to Monday.
The weekend of music will start on Friday at 10pm in both The Igoe Inn and Comerford’s, with separate sessions of music and singing. Saturday will feature a sean nós workshop in Doonbeg hall from 2 to 5pm, while a céilí for children and teens will be held in Doonbeg National School from 5pm to 7pm on the same day.
On Saturday evening, Doonbeg hall will host a traditional concert featuring Seán Keane from 8pm. Doors will open at 7.15pm. The concert will also feature Andrew MacNamara, Orla Harrington and Jimmy Higgins and Kate Purcell accompanied by Yuki Nishioka.
Sunday will start with a traditional breakfast in Tubridy’s from 10am to 1pm. All proceeds will be donated to Help the Cherven Orphans. Bernadette Níc Gabhann, John, Ciara and Eilis Murphy will provide the music. A mass in memory of Willie Keane will he held in Doonbeg parish church at 10am on Sunday.
Sunday afternoon will feature a singing session with Ann Marie Fitzgerald, Mary Conroy and the West Limerick Singers Club with Joe O’Connor in Comerford’s from 2.30pm while Doonbeg hall will host a set-dancing céilí from 10pm on Sunday night.
On Bank Holiday Monday, Madigan’s will host a farewell session with Andrew MacNamara and Jim Corry from 2pm to 5pm.
Willie Keane was one of Doonbeg’s best-known personalities and a great exponent of traditional dancing.
He came to prominence with the Mullagh Set, which won numerous competitions throughout Ireland.
After frequent appearances on TV, he toured the US with Clare’s best-known traditional artists and regularly taught set dancing at the Willie Clancy Summer School. His passing away in 1998 has left a huge void in Doonbeg.  For more information on this weekend’s festival visit www.williekeanememorialweekend.com