Irish Irish Festivals & the World Fleadh
A few times in the last couple of weeks I’ve been reading that the reason for the creation of this year’s inaugural World Fleadh, is that Ireland doesn’t have Irish Festivals of the type that are now routine for most of the US. This is nonsense. Or marketing.
According to John Spillane, speaking of the Fleadh in County Kerry’s Ballybunion (and clearly forgetting the lyrics to Lisdoonvarna):
It’s about time someone got it together to organise an Irish music festival here in Ireland. Having played at similar festivals around the world, I was often thinking why there is none in Ireland, and now it’s happening
However, in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, this coming weekend - a bank holiday weekend - will be the 29th Annual Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Festival. The entertainment line-up includes: Dervish, Lasairfhiona Ni Chonaola, Kila, Freddie White, Greine, The Dave Munnelly Band, The Border Collies, and John Spillane himself.
And there are countless such festivals in Ireland. What John Spillane didn’t stress, or wasn’t quoted as stressing, was that the World Fleadh is new in the sense of its magnitude. Festival Director Eric Cunningham explains:
It is true to say that there are many festivals each year in Ireland which feature a selection of our most respected performers and tutors but it is equally true to say that there is no Irish-based, all-encompassing week-long national event which brings so many professional artists together in the way that the [festivals in Lorient in France, Glasgow in Scotland, Tonder in Denmark, Dranouter in Belgium, Cambridge in England and Milwaukee in the United States, all] do
In other words, it’s big. And somebody copped on that Ireland better stick the word “World” in front of Fleadh before London or Chicago do it first.
If you visit the website you’ll see exactly who is performing, including: The Waterboys, The Sharon Shannon Big Band, (that’s a awful big band you have there, Sharon), Solas, Kila, Lúnasa, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Téada, the Kilfenora Céilí Band, the Tulla Céilí Band, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Frankie Gavin, 4 Men And A Dog, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Michael McGoldric, Flook, Beoga, Créde, Deiseal, Gráda, Gary Dunne, and John Spillane of course.
Oh yeah, and The Gipsy Kings, and Capercaillie and La Bottine Souriante. And for some reason, Aslan.
If you think you can live in that company, then you should know that the Festival Director is currently looking at options for the World Fleadh 2007, so get yourself over to the website and send on your details.
I should warn you though that the Home Page of the World Fleadh website is written either in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS or all in italics, with the exception of the panel at the foot of the page which lists the entertainment line-up - in blue font on a red background. I am actually typing this with my eyes closed because they hurt so much after that page. Go deeper in though; it gets easier.
The World Fleadh takes place from 14th - 20th August with more than 35 concerts over seven days and nights, in Ballybunion on the Kerry coast. Funny enough, I’ll be in Ireland on those dates.
Now, like Ballyshannon, Ballybunion is not a huge town, but it still has more Irish than the Cayman Islands. And over 50,000 are expected in attendance which, good Lord, makes it bigger than the Ryder Cup
See Also:
• Irish Festivals Essay by Larry Kirwan of Black 47
• David Gray at the Galway Arts Festival
• World Bodhrán Festival
• Irish Fest in Milwaukee
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