Busy schedule for Kilrush music festival

THE Kilrush Traditional Music and Set Dancing Festival will start next Wednesday with a seisiún at the Teach Ceoil at 9pm. The following night, the singers’ club takes place in The Haven Arms with guest artist Gerry McNamara, starting from 10pm.

On Friday, August 9, from 10am to 12.30pm, there will be a sean-nós dancing workshop with Aidan Vaughan in Teach Ceoil, followed, from 1pm to 4pm, by a set-dancing workshop with Mike Mahony.

At 6.45pm, the official opening of festival, with Kilrush Mayor Paul Moroney, will take place in the square, followed by an open-air céilí with the Brian Boru Céilí Band.

On Saturday, August 10 a set-dancing workshop with Mike Mahony will he held in Teach Ceoil from 10am to 1pm, followed by a sean-nós dancing workshop, at the same venue, with Aidan Vaughan.

There will be an open air séisiún with local musicians in the square from 11am to 12pm. From 2.30pm to 5.30pm, an open-air céilí will be staged in the town square with the Johnny Reidy Céilí Band.

At 3pm, a concertina competition for U-12s and U-18s will take place in Teach Ceoil, while from 8pm,
guest artists Hugh Healy, Colm Healy and Pádraic O’Reilly will be the guest artists at a concert.
Sunday, August 12 will start with an open-air séisiún in the square from 12.30pm to 2pm, followed by music in the Vandeleur Walled Garden with Inis Cathaigh CCÉ and friends.

The festival will officially conclude with a céilí in the square with the Five Counties Céilí Band from 7pm.

Meanwhile, Inis Cathaigh musicians were successful in the recent Munster Fleadh Cheoil in UL and will now compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Derry on August 17 and 18.

Davan Livingstone (U-12 accordion) and Tara O’Malley (U-12 duet with Davan) will be joined by Laticia Browne (Ennistymon CCÉ). Also qualified are Diarmuid Donnellan, in the U-15 tin whistle slow air and Muirean Keane, in the U-13 Comhraí Gaeilge.

Ashling Hehir (U-15 melodeon) and Caoimhe Keane (U-12 singing) were placed third.

Furthermore, there are two more nights of Séisiún at the Teach Ceoil next Wednesday and on Wednesday, August 14. The stage show starts at 9pm and is followed by an informal session.