Stellar line-up for 23rd Feakle festival

THE annual Feakle Traditional Music Festival will celebrate its 23rd year at the start of August with a vibrant programme of traditional music, song and dance.
Every year, the festival attracts genuine music lovers from all corners of the globe, while providing a platform for local musicians to demonstrate their musical heritage.
The festival will open on Wednesday, August 4 at 7.30pm in the community centre, Feakle, with a screening of the film on Robbie McMahon Last Night as I Lay Dreaming.
In recent years, the festival’s opening ceremony has evolved to become a platform to honour and pay tribute to musicians, singers and dancers that have contributed to the culture of Clare.  This year, the programme of events commences with a celebration of renowned musician Robbie McMahon.
“Robbie has been a regular performer at the festival and can be relied on to keep order for the Sunday morning singing session. The festival are honoured to screen the documentary that features the contribution that Robbie has made to the world of singing down through the years, both through his compositions and his unique interpretation of traditional songs.
“This documentary captures the essence of Robbie and in many ways the essence of Clare as a county of music,” a spokesman for the Feakle Festival said.
After the screening of the documentary, a few songs from Robbie McMahon himself are expected. 
The evening will be complemented by a photographic exhibition by Amanda Hooke. Amanda is originally from California but is now living in Carna, County Galway.
“She is a regular visitor to both Feakle and the festival and this exhibition will showcase her work, which is striking, warm and beautiful,” the festival spokesman added.
The evening festivities will continue with a session in Pepper’s Pub with Mark Donnellan, Cyril O’Donoghue and friends.
There will be a youth concert on Thursday night, August 5 in the community centre. The concert will showcase young local musicians who are students of concertina player, Mary MacNamara.
The concert will also feature Marie and Solveig from Oslo, who will play traditional Norwegian tunes on hardanger fiddles.
This will be followed by a concert with Dave Flynn, guitar and the West Ocean String Quartet with Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill, traditional and sean-nós singer, in Caher House.
The Friday night recital in Caher House will showcase some of the best musicians that traditional music has to offer, with two outstanding acts performing on the night. 
“Eddi Reader and band, including Alan Kelly, will make their debut performance at the festival. She is recognised for her unique and versatile voice and it promises to be particularly outstanding in this venue. She will be singing songs from her critically acclaimed recordings from the Robert Burns collection. 
The concert will conclude with the annual heart-stopping performance by Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill,” he said.
The Saturday night concert will focus on Clare Connections, celebrating the array of talented musicians, singers, dancers and storytellers by artists not just from Clare, but those who have deep connections with Feakle and Clare. The concert promises to be a night filled with both talent and fun and will feature the Brock McGuire Band, Tony Linnane, Mick Conneelly, Jim O’Connor, Vincent Griffin, Mary Corry, Andrew MacNamara and Cormac Begley, among others.
Throughout the festival, there will be range of workshops, as in previous years, with some new tutors added to the team, including Angelina Carberry (banjo) and Ann Meenaghan (sean-nós singer).
Fiddle workshops will be led by Denise Glass, Martin Hayes and Pat O’Connor. The concertina workshops will be given by Kate McNamara and Mary MacNamara, Seán Ryan will give the whistle workshops, while Angelina Carberry will give banjo instruction and Dennis Cahill the guitar sessions.
A degree of competency is required for all instrumental workshops.
Sean-nós dancing workshops will be led by Suzanne Leahy on the Friday and Saturday mornings. Kevin O’Halloran and Deirdre Nihill will give set-dancing workshops also on Friday and Saturday.
Each night of the festival will see a session or a céilí, and the Four Courts Céilí Band and Michael Sexton and his band will be setting the dancing pace on Friday, August 6, in Bohan’s Bar and the marquee respectively.
On Sunday, August 7, there will be a noon singing session with Robbie McMahon, Donie Nolan, Seamus Begley and Deirdre Scanlan in Moloney’s pub.
This will be followed by children’s activities, including face painting and a puppet show and outdoor performances with Flora Shanty’s from Friesland, Holland. The male choir was formed in 1997 and they will perform songs from Friesland, Holland and Ireland.
Later that afternoon, there will be an outdoor concert with Rick Epping and Seamie O’Dowd.
The grand finale of the festival will be a céilí with the Tulla Céilí Band in the marquee at 10pm on the Sunday night.
The Riches of Clare free lunchtime concert will be held in Feakle Community Centre on Monday, August 9 at 1pm, featuring Murty Ryan, Karol Lynch, Marcus Moloney and John Moloney.
The festival will continue with crossroad dancing outside Pepper’s Bar at 7pm that night, with music by Donie Nolan and the Taylor’s Cross Céilí Band.
There will be informal sessions in the local pubs throughout Tuesday, August 10 with a host of local and visiting musicians.
For more information on the festival see www.feaklefestival.ie or email info@feaklefestival.ie.