Annual Clifden Festival set to hit right note

The seventh annual Clifden Traditional Music Festival kicks off this Thursday and will run until Monday with free concerts and sessions as well as workshops and competitions over the weekend.

Events on the opening night will include the launch of a new CD by Fasta, a trio featuring well-known piper Fiachra O’Regan and multi-instrumentalist Sophie Lavoie, who is travelling especially from Canada for the launch.  That event, in the Alcock and Brown Hotel at 8pm, will be performed by John Carty of At the Racket. John will also judge the Tune Composition Competition, taking place on the night. That competition will have 1916 theme to coincide with this year’s commemoration of the Easter Rising.

Friday will see the launch of the Festival’s first photo exhibition in Clifden Library at 1pm – featuring a myriad of photos from through the years.  Leo Hallissey of the Connemara Environmental Education and Cultural Centre will perform this launch.

The Festival’s official opening and concert will take place in the Clifden Station House Theatre at 7pm this Friday, and will feature a host of artists from all over Ireland as well as lots of local talent.

Saturday starts with music workshops in fiddle, button accordion and concertina from 10am until 12.30pm in Scoil Mhuire National School. The tutors will include Graham Guerin (accordion), James Duggan (fiddle), Maura Walsh (concertina).   A singing workshop will also take place with All-Ireland Oireachtas Champion Nollaig Ní Laoire.

Music sessions are always a major part of the festival and will feature a host of champion musicians from all over Ireland.  They include Liz Gaughan (fiddle) and Brendan Quinn (flute) from Tipperary; Róisín Broderick (concertina), Graham Guerin (accordion) and Gearóid Keating (banjo) from Kerry; Michael Curran (Tyrone) on accordion; husband-and-wife duo Theresa and Declan Payne from Sligo; Rachel Masterson (Longford) and Mark McCrystal (Tyrone) on piano; Letterfrack sisters Liz and Yvonne Kane (fiddles); Colin McGill (Laois) on piano accordion; and Conall Flaherty (flute) and Nollaig Ni Laoire (vocals) from Meath.  All are most welcome to take part in the sessions over the weekend.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.