Lisdoon weekend for folk hero

WORLD-renowned singer songwriter Christy Moore returns this weekend to the North Clare town he immortalised in song. WORLD-renowned singer songwriter Christy Moore returns this weekend to the North Clare town he immortalised in song.
A celebratory weekend called A Gathering of Songsters has been organised for Lisdoonvarna from this Friday to Sunday.
The 4711ers’ get-together takes place in Lisdoonvarna over three days to acknowledge the music and writings of folk icon Christy Moore. 4711ers is a phrase coined by Christy, referring to his large online fan base. His presence at the event is sure to draw a large crowd to the festival, after an appearance at the Lisdoonvarna Folk Festival in 1983.
“We are pretty excited about the weekend,” says 4711ers spokesperson Hillary Scanlon. “Christy is very generously organising a gathering, focusing around the folk tradition and singing.”
The schedule of events include three concerts, a workshop incorporating a question-and-answer forum with Christy himself, a number of music sessions and a Burren walk.
Christy Moore performs solo at The Royal Spa Hotel on Friday, while he can be seen again with Declan Sinnott at The Pavilion Theatre on Sunday night.
Saturday’s highlight is a concert by Sinnott’s band Small Town Talk, with special guest Wally Page.
The 4711ers have been in existence since 2007 when one of Moore’s fans set up a dedicated website to pay homage to the internationally acclaimed star.
According to Ms Scanlan, “The hardcore group is open to anybody – there’s nothing exclusive about it. The website has made it possible for us to be in contact with each other. We are a group of loyal followers that meet up at gigs. We’ve been linking up over the last few years and gradually, we’ve got to know each other. For this weekend, there’s a big contingent coming from Germany. Also, there’s a guy flying in from New York for the event and we’ll also have people from Holland and the UK. But it’s open to the general public as well. We are all very pleased that we’ll have the opportunity to meet Christy.”
There are still some weekend tickets available while individual events can also be booked separately.
Tickets and information are available by contacting 065 7074288 or 065 7075673.