Doonbeg and all that jazz

THE Doonbeg Jazz Festival is taking place this weekend, with 10 bands playing over the weekend and a total of 28 gigs.
Philippa Siegrist was involved in preparations for the festival, which is in its 12th year and she said the performance of Andreas Varady is set to be one of the highlights. “He’s 13 and he’s an amazing guitar player. He’s already been on TV and over in the States. He was introduced to the Jazz club in Limerick a few years ago and people thought he was incredible. Since then, he’s done really well and come on in leaps and bounds.
“He’s playing on Sunday, I put him on the afternoon and early evening because I’d especially like young people to see him. He’s on from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday afternoon and again from 7pm to 9pm.”
Andreas Varady is of Slovakian gypsy origin and began playing the guitar at four years of age. Much of his early music experience was gained while busking on the streets of Limerick and Cork.
Other bands include the East Coast Jazz Band from Arklow, who have been well received at the festival in the past, and The Charms from Tralee.
Ms Siegrist said the festival is one of the highlights of the year in Doonbeg.
“Usually, it’s really busy, I’d say it’s the busiest weekend of the year in Doonbeg now. All the music is free and there’s good entertainment available. It’s good for the local pubs, the shops, the taxis, all the B&Bs are booked out. It’s a boost for the local economy. A lot of the money for it comes from local fundraising and we’ve had great support from Leader and Shannon Development,” she explained.