Doolin tuning up for a summer of folk

Luka Bloom, Martin Hayes, Donal Lunny, John Spillane, Steve Cooney and Hermitage Green are amongst the acts lined up to perform during the inaugural Doolin Folk Festival which takes place from June 14 to 16. The three-day festival will take place on the grounds of Hotel Doolin.

The Doolin Folk Festival line-up also includes Scullion, We Banjo 3, Iarla Ó Lionaird, Andy Irvine, Fidil, I Draw Slow, Beoga, Socks in the Frying Pan and JP Trio with more acts expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The festival will also feature food stalls, a traditional crafts fair and a farmers’ market.

Musician and event promoter Conor Byrne, explained the festival will feature “traditional and folk musicians, who have had a connection with the area over the years as well as up-and-coming, cutting-edge folk and trad acts to the village thereby reviving Doolin’s reputation as a hub for trad and folk musicians”.

Commenting on the decision to host a folk music festival in Doolin, located just one mile from the location of the famous Lisdoonvarna Festival of the late 1970s and early 1980s, festival organiser and Hotel Doolin manager, Donal Minihane stated, “The festival will celebrate all that is good about music in Doolin and North Clare, further enhancing Doolin’s reputation as a centre of excellence in traditional and folk music and bringing folk music to a wider audience. We hope this festival will be an annual event and that it will become one of the highlights of the Clare summer events calendar. The festival will share the ethos of the much loved Lisdoonvarna Festival, albeit on a much smaller scale. In fact, many of the artists featuring over the weekend such as Scullion, Donal Lunny and Luka Bloom would have played at the original Lisdoonvarna festivals.”

“We believe we have all the ingredients in to make this a huge success. We have the right location, plenty of accommodation locally at all price ranges from camping to hostels to BBs and hotels. We have the musical expertise and contacts, experience in running events and festivals, beautiful scenery, a reputation for traditional Irish music that is renowned worldwide, great restaurants and pubs and other attractions such as the Cliffs, the Aran Islands and The Burren. We believe the event will be well received and supported locally and give a great boost to the area with up to 2,000 people expected in Doolin over the three days,” he concluded.