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TASCQ in association with Diageo Ireland and with support from Failte Ireland and Culture Ireland are taking Temple Bar TradFest, Dublin’s premiere celebration of traditional music and culture to the world’s largest Inter-celtic Festival in Lorient, France. Running from 31st July -9th August the Interceltique Festival (founded in 1969) is one of the world’s largest gathering of Celtic cultures. Musicians travel from Ireland Scotland, Wales, France, Spain and as far away as Australia to play in the 10 day festival. The festival programme is awash with activity from spectacular pipe band performances, festival concerts, singing and dancing workshops and much more.

In January the Director of the Festival Interceltique Lisardo Lombardio visited the Temple Bar Trad Fest, and one of the 2008 Tradfest Acts, Paddy Keenan & Tommy O Sullivan will this year perform at the festival in Lorient .The two festivals have since developed close ties and the Temple Bar TradFest has decided to strategically develop an on the ground presence in Lorient to help grow the overseas audience to Dublin for the Temple Bar Trad Fest in January .

As part of the Festival in Lorient a large quayside ‘Celtic village’ is created where different Celtic countries host pavilions / stands each promoting their culture, food and music. The Temple Bar TradFest will run the official Irish pavilion for 10 days from July 31st – August 9th 2009.
Live performances will take place daily in the Irish pavilion stage and information on the Temple Bar TradFest and on Ireland will be distributed to visitors to the Irish pavilion. Each day in the Irish Pavilion Irish dancing workshops, pipe band performances, seisúns and evening concerts will take place, as the area becomes a showcase for Irish music and Ireland.
“We are looking forward to visiting to Lorient to strengthen our links with other traditional music Festivals around the world and also to encourage celtic music lovers to come to Temple Bar next year. 2009 TradFest was a great success and we are planning a super Festival for Jan 2010. We hope that after the shows the Irish performers taking part in the Lorient Festival will join us at the Irish Pavilion to continue the celebrations.” Festival Director Martin Harte said.

The festival began in 1969 and quickly developed into one of the largest and most enjoyable music festivals to be found anywhere. Lorient is a city in a Breton-speaking area of southern Brittany, in north-west France. The Lorient festival attracts about 650.000 spectators every year in the first week of August. It features Celtic, traditional, classical, folk, jazz and rock musicians, singers, dancers, painters, sculptors, writers and other artists. The main concerts are held in a football stadium, marquees and Lorient’s fishing port, where the festival kicks off with a traditional Breton seafood supper. A huge number of concerts, gigs and master-classes are held throughout the city – excellent music backed up by excellent food and drink. One of the most spectacular events is the Grand Parade of Celtic Nations – a parade of over 3,000 musicians, singers, pipe bands and dancers from many different countries.
Temple Bar TradFest is Dublin’s premiere celebration of traditional Irish Music and Culture in the heart of the city. It runs over 5 days each January and the Temple Bar area comes alive with a series of festival concerts a rich line up of musical performances, showcase concerts, workshops, children’s events and much more in a celebration of traditional Irish music and culture. Temple Bar Tradfest is organized by TASCQ sponsored by Bushmills and supported by Dublin Tourism and Dublin City Council and the Arts Council.

TASCQ is an independent organisation, which represents traders in the Temple Bar area. Membership of TASCQ is voluntary, and now has over 90 members, representing a broad spectrum of businesses and organisations in Temple Bar. These include restaurateurs, hoteliers, publicans, retailers, cultural centres, charities, resident groups and service providers who operate in Dublin’s Cultural Quarter. These groups have come together to form TASCQ with the aim of promoting Temple Bar both at home and abroad.