'Tis The Season To Be Festival
Hot Chip Breathe Some Life Into Oxegen
By Joe Kavanagh
From a few small localized events of days gone by, the proliferation of summer festivals in Ireland is such that there are now quite literally hundreds of festivals up and down the country throughout the summer months, each offering its own often particular flavor. From musical behemoths, such as Oxegen, to tiny, local fairs that can occasionally resemble scenes from the TV show Father Ted, there are myriad of interesting options open to anyone interested in visiting the Emerald Isle in the coming weeks and months. The following list provides just a smattering of the more celebrated events on display during June and July, offering fun, frolics and festivities for everyone from the music-addict, to the more refined palate. Just don't depend on the weather!
Clancy Brothers Music Festival
June 12-15
Hailed as one of the most influential folk bands of all time, friends to Bob Dylan and unquestionably one the most successful international groups ever to originate in Ireland, Makem & The Clancys hold a special place in the hearts of aficionados on both sides of the Atlantic. With the recent passing of Armagh's Tommy Makem, and Clancy brothers Paddy, Tom and Bobby already gone to their eternal reward, Liam Clancy remains the only living link to the original band and his beautiful hometown of Carrick-on-Suir has laudably decided to celebrate the legacy of these famous sons by virtue of the town's first annual festival in their honor. As you might expect, some of the biggest names in traditional and folk music will gather in and around the spectacular Ormonde Castle for a series of concerts and workshops, while there will also be a range of exhibitions, plays , storytelling and a host of family-friendly activities in the run up to the grand finale, which sees members of the supremely talented Clancy family put on a special show in the town's Strand Theatre. clancybrothersfestival.com
Cork Midsummer Festival
June 15-July 5
Billing itself as "21 days and nights of sensory overload", this annual gala, now in its second year, gets out of the blocks in some style with the Lord Mayor's Picnic in the Park, offering a profusion of events during the subsequent three weeks that add even more color and verve to a city already renowned for its ebullience. From street festivals, poetry recitals, plays, concerts and dozens of other parties inside the main party, this extravaganza is hard to beat for the sheer variety and quality of the events on hand . From US swing bands, to Mancunian indie legends, The Fall, and seminal German act, Faust, there is music in abundance to suit all tastes and if music is not your thing then there should be plenty of other hooks to get snared on, considering organizers are committed to presenting punters with something that tickles all of the major sensory functions. Best of all, those of you traveling there on a shoestring budget will be pleased to know that many of the events on hand can be experienced for free. corkmidsummer.com/2008
From musical behemoths, such as Oxegen, to tiny, local fairs that can occasionally resemble scenes from the TV show Father Ted, there are myriad of interesting options open to anyone interested in visiting the Emerald Isle in the coming weeks and months.
West Cork Chamber Music Festival
June 28-July 6
From the modest five-day occurence that signaled the maiden appearance of this festival in 1995, it has now grown into one of the most popular and highly regarded of all those events aimed at the more discerning festival goers. Everything about this festival is classy, from the wealth of classical music talent that converges on the town during proceedings, to the main concert stage, which is in a 19th Century library looking out over an Italian garden. Classiest of all is the host town of Bantry, which sits on the stunning Bantry Bay, whose West Cork surrounds contain some of the most dramatic and beautiful countryside in Ireland. In addition to the multitude of classical and operatic shows taking place, there will also be a series of master classes held by some of the most talented names in the genre From famous shows by the biggest names to original new pieces from up-and-coming composers, the event strives to create the perfect classical music experience but if you do get bored off all the high-brow hoopla then the surrounding countryside will provide more than enough distractions for even the most fussy traveler. westcorkmusic.ie
Life Festival
July 3-6
Now in its third year of existence, Life is another example of how organizers got the location exactly right, taking place in the dramatic surrounds of Lough Cutra Castle, Gort, County Galway. Musically, the emphasis is on cutting edge bands, with the vast majority of acts coming from the world of club music, but there are also a range of rock, reggae, hip-hop, traditional and folk acts lined up to play on one of the many stages, which includes an outdoor amphitheater. Aside from the music and the serene surrounds, there is an abundance of other activity including shopping, street performers from around the globe, "Spaceship Earth", food village, bars and even chill-out tents and meditation instruction when it all gets a bit too much for you. Life is also committed to being one of the 'greenest' festivals in Ireland, utilizing bio-diesel generators for power and even recycling as much waste material as possible for use in the creation of art, among other things. Among the names already confirmed are Finlay Quaye, Max Romeo, Trojan Soundsystem and Coldcut with many more to be announced in the run up. life-festival.com
Seminal Rockers Faust Come To Cork
Oxegen
July 11-13
Like it's forebear, the equally spelling-impaired Wittness which ran from 2000-2003, Oxegen is simply all about the music with a line-up that can legitimately lay claim to rivaling that of the UK's Glastonbury. From the vast campgrounds, projected crowds of 80,000 people each day and the stellar lineup spread across six stages, everything about this festival is big, brash and built on energy. REM, Kings Of Leon, The Verve, Rage Against The Machine, Hot Chip, Prodigy, Counting Crows, Chemical Brothers are just a tiny fraction of the cast conspiring to make this Ireland's showcase music happening. Held at Punchestown Racecourse, Kildare, the event draws fans from all over the world even as it repels others. For everyone who wallows (and if it rains in the run-in, you will wallow) in the energy, indulgence and hedonism offered by such vast numbers, there are an equal number of music fans who remain nonplussed by the renowned sub-par toilet facilities, shoving matches that sometimes characterize attending gigs and - to use a euphemism- 'lively' crowds. oxegen.ie/2008
Phoenix Festival
July 17-20
The town of Tullamore, Offaly is curious for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that, despite its relatively small national profile, it can lay claim to being Ireland's festival capital, given the fact that three of the biggest are held within its confines. Secondly, the town also lays claim to being the site of the world's first aviation disaster, when a hot-air balloon crashed there in 1785, causing severe damage to the town. The subsequent rebuilding, a thriving local whiskey industry and the arrival of the Grand Canal saw the town undergo such a dramatic regeneration that it adopted the fabled Phoenix as its coat--of-arms, hence the name of the festival. Showing growth and improvement in every year that it has operated, as a small festival it has few rivals for the volume and quality of events on hand each day. From hot air balloon rides, skateboarding competitions, auto shows, parades, skydiving, over 20 music venues and an abundance of other treats, generous locals open their town up to the ever-increasing number of people who are growing to cherish this laid-back, friendly affair. phoenixfestival.ie
Glasgowbury
July 26
Seven years ago, some music-mad locals from the town of Draperstown, Derry, organized a gig featuring mainly local acts in order to raise money for charity. Since such humble beginnings, this one-day event remains true to its charitable foundation, but can now lay claim to being the north of Ireland's largest music festival, featuring over 40 bands spread across three stages. It helps that the festival is also located in a relatively remote, postcard-perfect valley, overlooked by the magnificent Eagle's Rock, in a rural area populated with some of the friendliest locals that the country has to offer. This sense of being truly away from everything and a sterling reputation for affable crowds makes this one of the most special and intimate of all the festivals. Although the lineup has yet to be announced for this year's show, the emphasis is always on mixing together the very best of Irish and British up-and-coming talent with a couple of big name draws, and local heroes Duke Special and Oppenheimer were just two of the names to grace last year's event. This year should be no different, with rumors that Snow Patrol may even make an a surprise appearance , and look for this event to become a bigger and better with every year of its existence because the secret is finally getting out. glasgowbury.com
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