Visitors from far and near flocking to Tuam

Date Published: {J}

BY DECLAN TIERNEY

Traditional musicians from as far away as Derry, Donegal, Louth, Dublin and Sligo will be descending on Tuam for the second annual trad festival which takes place on Friday week.

Visitors from Newfoundland have already booked into a local hotel for the weekend; a couple from the Netherlands are coming to Tuam to learn the bodhrán; a family from London will be arriving to see Seán Keane perform at the opening of the festival while a group from Portland, Oregon, are looking forward to being in the town for the Irish traditional Mass.

A total of 90 artists along with 14 groups are already committed to performing at the Tuam Trad Festival which takes place from September 16 to 18, with the vast majority of sessions being free to the public.

There will be music in nearly every pub in Tuam over the course of the weekend, there are workshops for set dancing, various instruments and singing, a children’s traditional Irish music disco along with a number of recitals.

Event organiser Ann Coen said that the response from musicians was phenomenal and added that many of them had made contact of their own accord following the success of the inaugural trad festival last year.

The festival, which is expected to generate an estimated half a million euro spend in Tuam over the weekend, now has international appeal with many trad fans from abroad booked into the town for the duration of the event.

The official opening of the festival will take place on the Friday evening as Sean Keane will be joined on stage by Clare musicians Chris Droney, Francis Droney, Áine McGrath Droney and Ann Kirrane along with Anthony McGrath.

Musicians like John Faulkner, Andreas de Staic, Gary Quinn, Mike Stewart and Matt Keane will be playing throughout the weekend, while groups include Rí Rá, the Mulhollands, the Dartry Céilí Band from Sligo, Corofin and Milltown Comhaltas Ceoltoírí Éireann groups and the Rambling Rogues.

Workshops will take place all day Saturday and Sunday. It is expected that these will be well attended. Tutors giving classes include John Wynne (flute), Cian Kearins (tin whistle), Seán Carroll (accordion), Neillidh Mulligan (uilleann pipes), Junior Davey (bodhrán), Michael Rooney (concertina), Phillip Duffy (fiddle), Theresa O’Grady (banjo), Anthony McGrath (guitar), Pauline Hanly (traditional singing) and Gerald Butler (set and sean-nós dancing).

All the tutors will come together for a free concert in Geoghegan’s on the Saturday night of the festival. More details of this and other events at www.tuamtradfestival.com