Musicians tune up for inaugural Doolin Folk Festival
Ireland’s leading folk and Irish traditional musicians will gather in North Clare this weekend for the inaugural Doolin Folk Festival (June 14-16th 2013).
Luka Bloom, Martin Hayes, Donal Lunny, We Banjo 3, Steve Cooney and Hermitage Green are amongst the acts lined up to perform at the country’s newest folk music festival.
Sponsored by Smithwick’s Pale Ale the three-day festival takes place on the grounds of Hotel Doolin, less than a mile from the site of the famous Lisdoonvarna Festival of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Musician and Event Promoter, Conor Byrne explained that the Festival will feature “traditional and folk musicians who have had a connection with the area over the years as well as up-and-coming, cutting-edge folk and Trad acts to the village thereby reviving Doolin’s reputation as a hub for Trad and Folk musicians.”
The Doolin Folk Festival line-up includes Luka Bloom, Scullion, Steve Cooney, Martin Hayes, We Banjo 3, Iarla O’Lionaird, Donal Lunny, Hermitage Green, Andy Irvine, Fidil, I Draw Slow, Beoga, Socks in the Frying Pan, and JP Trio with plenty more acts to be announced in the coming weeks. The festival will also feature food stalls, a traditional crafts fair and a farmers market.
Commenting on the decision to host a folk music festival in Doolin, Festival organiser and Hotel Doolin manager, Donal Minihane stated: “The festival will celebrate all that is good about music in Doolin and North Clare, further enhancing Doolin’s reputation as a centre of excellence in Traditional & Folk Music and bringing Folk music to a wider audience. We hope this festival will be an annual event and that it will become one of the highlights of the Clare Summer Events Calendar. The festival will share the ethos of the much loved Lisdoonvarna Festival, albeit on a much smaller scale. In fact many of the artists featuring over the weekend such as Donal Lunny and Luka Bloom would have played at the original Lisdoonvarna Festivals.”
“The Doolin Folk Festival has the potential to be the best Boutique Folk Festival in Ireland,” Mr. Minihane added.
“We believe we have all the ingredients in to make this a huge success. We have the right location, plenty of accommodation locally at all price ranges from camping to hostels to BB’s and hotels. We have the musical expertise and contacts, experience in running events and festivals, beautiful scenery, a reputation for traditional Irish Music that is renowned worldwide, great restaurants and pubs and other ancillary attractions such as the Cliffs, the Aran Islands and The Burren. We believe the event will be well received and supported locally and give a great boost to the area,” he concluded.
Hotel Doolin is investing approximately €100,000 in three festivals during 2013, including the Doolin Folk Festival, the recently held Doolin Writers Weekend & Short Story competition and the second annual Doolin Craft Beer Festival August from 23-25 August.
Day and Weekend Tickets for the Doolin Folk Festival are on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie. Further information from www.doolinfolkfestival.com.
