Dan Furey remembered with 18th set-dancing weekend

THE 18th annual Dan Furey weekend of set-dancing will be held in Labasheeda this weekend. It will start on Friday evening and conclude on Sunday. The headquarters will be the local community centre.
The festival in memory of Dan, who dedicated his life to teaching the dances of the Labasheeda area, has become the focal point for the community over the years. Dan Furey and his friend, James Keane, came to national and international prominence in their latter years particularly through Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy and travelled all over Ireland and abroad teaching set and step dancing.
The festival will be officially opened on the Friday night at 9.30pm by Fr Tom McGrath, who spent over 40 years in Kenya as a missionary priest. He is now retired at home in the company of his mother, Bridie, and sister, Mary. Stephen McDonagh is a local historian who, along with heritage officers from Clare County Council, in conjunction with Heritage Week, will give a talk on the Battery Fortress in Kilkerrin, around now is the 200th anniversary of its erection. This will take place at 1pm on Saturday.
There is usually an impromptu céilí at The Battery on Sunday morning, re-enacting the tradition of locals going there to dances hosted by the British soldiers based there.
Following the festival launch on Friday, the Johnny Reidy Céilí Band will play in Labasheeda Community Centre. On Saturday from 10.30am, set and step-dancing workshops will be held with Timmy Woulfe and Michael Tubridy followed by the tour of the Battery Castle. Céilís will be held on Saturday at 3pm and 10pm in the community centre.
From 11am on Sunday, the annual trip to Kilkerrin Graveyard and the Battery Castle will take place followed by a parade at 1pm in Labasheeda village. The festival will come to a close with an afternoon céilí from 3pm on Sunday followed by an open seisiún from 6pm, which welcomes all musicians.
For any further information on the Dan Furey Festival, contact Liam Woulfe on 087 2220289.